The Child
by Angel's babe
Summary: The paternity of a certain doctor's child comes into questioning....*Complete*
1. Default Chapter- thanks to a very astute...

THE CHILD

Below is a new and improved version of chapter #1.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fanfic, Accept for Katie. Just the circumstances.

Authors notes: 1. For my purposes: Immortals CAN yes you read right have children

2. Part of the reason for this fic is that I am running into writers block concerning: Lost Memory, any suggestions on where to take it now would be greatly appreciated, and may even earn a dedication

3. ""= Dialogue, and ''= thoughts

4. Also for my purposes: Alexa did not die but enjoys a relationship with Methos, known to her as Adam.

5. Methos and Adam will be interchanged but refer to the same man.

Summary: This takes place after the series, around 1999, after building the house for Anne, and Mary Duncan McLeod returns to Seattle, after 3 years living in Paris.

Here it is:

            Chapter #1

            The sweat dripped off his brow as he approached the park, he ran through here everyday, each time stopping and sitting on the same exact bench and watching the same group of children running and playing, on the slide and swings and each day hoping to see her.  'They'd be around the same age as Mary' he'd think to himself.  He sat down on the bench just then to catch his breath lost in his thoughts.  That morning he was finally rewarded, as a small dark haired child scampered towards him wanting to take his hand and play with him.  Her mother followed, with a: 

"Mary, you know better than to bother people! She said sternly, then addressed the man: "You'll have to forgive my daughter, she can be too trusting sometimes."  

"It's alright Anne, trust is a good thing to have" the man replied allowing for a little of the Scottish lilt to appear in his voice.  

"Wait a minute, you called me Anne, Do we know each other? Her eyes narrowed  I don't think we do… she turned to follow Mary back to the swings. She stopped suddenly realisation hitting her, she turned around: "Duncan!, Duncan McLeod is that you?,  How long have you been back in the States? and what have you been doing the last three years?" Anne peppered him with questions, "I'll tell you what, I'll answer your questions over dinner tomorrow night," O.K, pick me up at seven.

The Next Night

Duncan drove up to the house in his black Camero.  The house was still standing, thankfully he thought remembering what happened the last time he was there.  He rang the doorbell, and Mary came running to the door: 

"I'll get it, she called," 

"You must be Mary, Duncan told her bending to her level, 

"Yes, and you must be mommy's date, you're handsome" she responded, "well thank you, and you're cute" the Highlander chuckled.  

"Mary, let our guest in" Anne said from just behind them.  She was dressed in a short black cocktail dress, with navy sandals  

"Anne you look beautiful, as usual, motherhood must agree with you." Duncan complimented, 

"Thank you, it does, although it's not always easy with a 3 year old running around" she said with a smile.  

"Oh! I almost forgot, these are for you, he said sheepishly handing her a dozen red roses, "I was a little distracted."  

"So I heard." She replied.  "I'll just put these in water, and then we'll go." She told him.  "No hurry, don't worry."  He replied.  Anne re-appeared after a couple of minutes.  

"Now Mary, you be good for Katie," Anne told her daughter giving her a pat on the head, 

"Yes mommy I will," Mary replied.  They left then, and arrived at Joe's a few minutes later.

Joe's place:

Methos casually leaned against the bar as he was sipping his second bottle of beer.  He was there only to watch Alexa- his favourite past time watching her do anything.  Just then, the buzz, which, indicated the presence of another immortal came over him.  He saw Duncan walk the door with a very lovely looking woman on his arm and thought: where does he keep finding these women.  His friend immediately caught site of him and walked straight over. 

"Adam Pierson, this is my friend Dr. Anne Lindsay, Anne, this Adam" Duncan made the introduction.  

"Pleased to meet such a lovely friend of Duncan's," Adam responded kissing her hand in introduction.  Anne chuckled: 

"How gallant," she said, a slight blush colouring her cheeks, 

"Believe me, he's anything but…"Duncan told her.  Joe came up then, in the middle of the whole performance, 

"And just how is my favourite Doctor, and customer? He asked jovially indicating the couple.  

"Very well thank you, Joe," Anne replied, "And my little blues singer?" Joe returned, "she's very well, and looking forward to seeing uncle Joe again." Anne said. 

"We'd actually like a table now Duncan said interrupting, "Very well, right this way said the watcher leading them to a cozy corner booth, "Alexa will be serving you" he said, "That will be fine Joe" Duncan responded, thinking of how much he would enjoy teasing his friend later. 

"Hey Mac, how ya been?" Alexa greeted him, 

"Fine thanks, and how are you?" 

"Just great but Adam just keeps staring at me, it's really nice having his attention now that we're going out but, it's disconcerting, like he can stare straight through me." Alexa finished.  

"Just remember how lucky you are to have someone," Duncan told her.  She left the table then to get their order filled. 

"So are you ready to answer my questions?" Anne nudged him gently.  

"I just wanted to get away for a few years, get my bearings after Richie died," Duncan replied, not knowing how to express the real reason he was away- her.  

"That's understandable I suppose," Anne said comfortingly.  " What have you been doing?" Duncan asked interestedly.  

"After I got back from maternity leave, they gave me a promotion to chief resident, so that and Mary keep me pretty busy," Anne told him with a glimmer at what she knew would be the next question.  

"Tell me more about that charming little girl of yours," Duncan said.  

"She's wonderful, and a handful all at the same time," Anne said.  The friendly banter continued in this manner all the way through dinner.  Finally Anne said: Let's dance a little while before you take me home."  

"O.K, lead on the highlander replied.  Just then a slow song came on, as if it was just for them.  Anne closed the gap between her and Duncan and laid her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. They danced like this through out the whole song, Anne falling asleep towards the end.  

"I think we'd better get you home," Duncan said, although he liked the feeling of her head on his shoulder.  

"Yeah, Mary despite what Katie might tell her is probably wide awake in bed."  Anne told him tiredly.  

They rode home in silence, at one point Anne falling asleep and pulled up to the house around 11.  Duncan stopped the car, seeing she was asleep and not wanting to wake her, walked around to the other side gently placed his jacket around her shoulders, picked her up and was greeted with a groan as she snuggled her head against his chest happily.  He carried her to the house, and walked to the living room where he saw the babysitter watching TV. and laid her on the couch.  

"Come Katie, and I'll give you a ride home," Duncan whispered, 

"It's o.k., you don't have to, I only live a couple blocks over" Katie responded nervously, "No, I insist" he replied.  Katie rose then turned off the TV. and followed him out.  They paused in the front hall, Duncan helping Katie into her coat, thank you she muttered as she put her left arm into the sleeve, then her right arm Duncan turned to walk out as she shrugged into her coat, then followed him out.

Is it good? Or is it Bad?

Do you want me to continue?

REVIEW FOLKS!!! LET ME KNOW.

e-mail them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com

I'll be waiting…          


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter #2: The Child

Disclaimer: The only character I own is Katie

For My Purposes/Authors notes: Immortals can have children.

Alexa did not die, but enjoys a relationship with Adam/Methos and remember: Methos and Adam refer to the same person

This is basically because I'm experiencing some writer's block concerning my other fic entitled: Lost Memory- if you have any I won't lose my memory (ha, ha?) concerning those who gave me ideas and will include a dedication.

Summary: see first chapter

Reviews: Yes, but be kind

On with the show…

"So, have you been living in Seattle long?" Mac asked to make polite conversation.  

"No, my family and I just moved here from Vancouver, it's for my dad's work," she explained. 

"Turn right at the next stop sign" she instructed him.  

"You baby-sit for Dr. Lindsay often?" Mac continued, 

"No, only occasionally, who she really relies on is my older sister, but she couldn't make it, cause of school."  Katie told him. 

" I live right here, she told him pointing to the house just in front of them.  

"I'll wait until you're in safely then before I go" Mac told her as he pulled his car to a stop.  Katie got out. 

 "Thanks for the ride Mr. McLeod" she tossed over her shoulder.  

"You're welcome, and please call me Mac" he replied, 

" O.K, Mac" she replied.  Katie waved as she got to the house, and Mac pulled away from the curb, and drove home.

Later that night…

Duncan walked into his loft with a smile stretched across his face.  It was their first date, and all ready he could feel he and Anne re-establishing a connection that he feared had faded away, and he felt like, well he felt almost 14, instead of 400 years old.  He was contemplating these very thoughts when the phone rang. 

 "McLeod," he told the caller gruffly, wanting to get to bed.  

"Just thought I'd check up to see if Katie got home O.K.," the voice replied before adding: "I see you still answer the phone in exactly the same manner," 

"Anne! I was just thinking about you," Duncan told her, the smile re-appearing on his face.  

"Oh, and what were you thinking" she asked playfully.  

"Among other things, I was thinking how lovely you looked tonight, and what an absolutely charming little daughter you have," he replied.  

"Oh, that's just like I was thinking that how absolutely handsome you looked tonight, you don't look a day over thirty" she returned the compliment, colouring slightly.  

" Actually, I sort of had an ulterior motive to calling, I got called in for a shift tomorrow during the day, and as Katie will be at school I was wondering if you would look after Mary during the afternoon, pick her up at nursery school, then take her with you, that's if you don't have anything planned" Anne explained hurriedly. 

 "Umm, O.K. yeah, I think I can handle that," Duncan answered hesitating a little bit, really not knowing what he was going to do with a little kid for an afternoon.  

"O.K, see you tomorrow then, I should be done around five, and Mac, everything's gonna be fine, she's going to like you, I know she is," Anne assures him.  

" O.K, if you say so," Mac replies.  

"I guess I'd better go, I have a long day ahead of me," Anne says with a yawn.  

"Yeah, good night," Mac says cheerfully, and then the two hung up.  The last thing Mac thought as he fell asleep was of the little girl with jet-black curls.

The following afternoon…

Duncan McLeod walked up gravel path to the school building.  "I'm hear to collect Mary Lindsay," he told the teacher.  

"Yes, her mother told me you were coming to get her today, I'll get her, the teacher told him.  "Mary! Duncan's here," the teacher called. In response Mary came bounding outside into the sunshine.  

"You're handsome," she told Duncan in greeting, "And you're cute," he responded.  "You're also coming with me this afternoon," he continued taking her little hand in his.  "Where are we going?" Mary asked, 

"Where would you like to go?" Duncan returned.  

"Can we go see Uncle Joe?"  Mommy takes me there sometimes, and he lets me sing, he says when I'm older I can sing at his club for real in the band," she tells Duncan eagerly.  "O.K." let's go, Duncan tells her while opening the car door for her to step in.  

They were quiet all the way from the school to Joe's place.  Duncan parked the car, then helped Mary out: 

"Here we are, as requested: Joe's Bar," Duncan told her.  Just as they were reaching the door his senses tingled with the presence of another immortal, 'great, just great, Methos', he thought.  He opened the door, to a gravely voice saying: "Sorry, we're closed."  Joe looked up from his inventory then when the person didn't leave, 

"Well if it isn't my favourite little blues singer, I told your mom last night I hoped she'd bring you by, and here you are, your mom must be at work huh?" 

"Yup, but Duncan picked me up from school, he's gonna spend the day with me until mommy can come pick me up, can we go sing now?" she asked innocently.  

"Yeah we can sweetie, I was looking for an excuse to stop anyway, Joe told her.  The pair left then.  'ahhh, this will keep the little spark occupied for a while.'  Duncan thought as he felt the buzz for the second time that afternoon, only this time stronger.  In walked Methos then, the reason for the buzz.  

"Stuck baby-sitting for the afternoon eh McLeod?" He inquired relishing the fun he would have mocking Mac for all he's worth, 

"Yeah, I don't know what to do with a three year old, any ideas?" he inquired thinking that surely the 5,000 year old man surely has had some sort of interaction with kids. 

"Have you tried a colouring book and crayons?" he asked Duncan, 

"No, I haven't, she wanted to come straight here, I did think I would take her to the park and hopefully tire her out, then back to my loft for a nap." Anything else to add? He inquired of the elder immortal,

"Nope, no words of wisdom, no more suggestions, I'm out of ideas Mac, really, I haven't been around kids since… well let's see: carry the one, carry again, in 4550 years, he says with a smirk on his face. 'Some help you're going to be' thought Mac.  

" I suppose you want me to get you a beer too, hmmm?" Methos asked still smirking.

"Please, if you wouldn't mind old man," Mac returned.  Mac, and Methos were sitting making idle conversation over their beers, when the door opened from the office and in ran Mary, dark curls flying behind her, with Joe almost out of breath trying to keep up.

"Should we help him catch her?" inquired the Highlander of his friend.

"Nah, let's let them run a little bit, it might tire her out," Methos returned. Duncan just nodded.

20 minutes later

"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE RAGAMUFFIN! COME BACK HERE NOW!!" Joe screamed between pants, while the two immortals just looked on.

"Should we get involved, maybe see what she did to get yelled at" Methos asked Duncan,

"Yeah, we should" Duncan responded.  Ten minutes later they found out that Mary had talked Joe into playing Hide and Seek with her, and she was being hard to catch.

"We should go, come on Mary, and say good-bye to Adam, and Joe." Mac told his charge.

"Bye Adam, Bye Uncle Joe, I'm sorry for making you chase me." Mary told Joe.  

"It's o.k, we were just playing, and I'll be o.k." Joe responded still a little winded.  Mary and Mac left then, and went to the park, then to his loft, because Mary was tired by this point, and frankly so was he, he didn't know how Anne managed, but he had a new appreciation for her.  Finally five-thirty came, and Anne showed up as promised, bearing pizza.

"You didn't have to bring dinner you know that, I could have cooked." Duncan greeted her, and then took the pizza from her.

"No, I wanted to, to show my appreciation for your doing this for me last minute, I know it's probably been a while since you last spent time with kids…"  

"Shhhhh! It's all right, I enjoyed it." Mac told her gently.

"It's o.k. Mac, I know what she did at Joe's, and you're a saint for putting up with it," Anne replied.

"It's really o.k. It helped me get in touch with my inner child, however old it might be," Mac quipped.

"Is it dinner time yet?" Mary asked.

"Yes", Duncan and Anne told her in unison.  'So this is what mortals must feel like- content while with their families,  ' Mac thought while eating dinner.  Then it was time to say good-bye.

"Say bye to Duncan Mary" Anne suggested while picking up her daughter.

"Bye Duncan!" she told him while leaning in for a kiss on the cheek.  Anne set her daughter down again.

" Bye Duncan, and thank you very much." Anne told him, while doing the same as her daughter, only on the lips.

"Ooooooooooooooo! Mommy just kissed Duncan!" Mary shouted while clapping her hands in delight. Anne and Mary stepped into the elevator then, and the last thing Duncan heard was:

"Mommy, can we come again?" Mary asked Anne

Duncan just chuckled, and thought that was what he would love…

How was it?

Feedback, come on people!

I will listen, and try and incorporate it into my story.

Send it to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com 

Thanx.


	3. Chapter 3

Just thought I'd be nice, and give everybody (at least I hope that there's more than 1 person reading this) a late Easter Gift.  Enjoy!

Chapter #3: The Child

Disclaimer: The only character I own is: Katie, to use her contact me at my e-mail address.  Oh, and just to cover my bases I don't own any of the characters involved in Snow White either.

Summary: If you read this far into it, you must know what the story is about so far

Author's notes: 1. Alexa did not die.

                        2. Adam and Methos are interchangeable and refer to the same person.

                        3. ""=Dialogue, and ''= thoughts

                        4. Immortals can have kids

                        5. A.N.= Author's note.

Saturday morning:

BRRRRRRING! BRRRRRRING! "Hello, Lindsay Residence," Mary responded to the phone in two rings.

 "Mary, it's Duncan, could you put your mom on, I'd like to talk to her for a moment" 

, Duncan's voice responded.

"MOM, PHONE FOR YOU, IT'S DUNCAN!" She screeched at the top of her voice. 

"Got it!" Anne responded.

"It's a beautiful day, and I thought I'd call to see if you and Mary would to join me for the afternoon, we could take Mary to the movies- Snow White has just been re-released is playing, then we could go for dinner- just the two of us, what do you think?" Duncan asked.

"I'd like that, and I think Mary would too."  Anne answered, the continued: "But I would have to call Katie again, and I don't know if she's free or not…"

"If she isn't then I'll provide the babysitting. I'll pick you up in an hour." Duncan told her and hung up before she had a chance to ask who will be doing the baby-sitting. 'I'm going to owe Methos big-time, if it comes down to it.  An hour later he was in front of the house in his car.  He got out of his car and started across the lawn and was greeted by Mary:

"Duncan!" she shouted her pigtails flying everywhere, as she ran to his waiting arms.

"Mary!" he responded a smile stretching across his face, he scooped her up and carried her to the house.

"Is your mommy ready yet?" he asked her.

"Yes I am, Anne responded from the porch.

"Let's go then, Mac said while leading the way across the lawn to his car.

They got to the theatre, and the Mac followed Mary and Anne in to get settled then went for Popcorn for him and Anne, and Candy for Mary.  The buzz came over him just as he heard the source for it. 

"Snow White Mac, come on, you call yourself a man? Why not Blade?" Adam mocked; he and Alexa had just come from seeing that movie.  

"For your information, it's for Mary," Mac answered indignantly.

"Sure, we believe you Mac, thousands, no wait make that millions wouldn't but we do." Adam.

"Ignore him Mac, I usually do when he's acting macho like this, which, is unfortunately all the time." Alexa said in an effort to make peace.

"Come on, honey, we should go." Adam said.

"O.K. say hello to Anne and Mary," Alexa smiled and turned to walk away with Methos.  The movie went by without a hitch, (AN: I could put a lot of mushy, and predictable stuff in here, but I don't, this IMHO deserves some extra points)

 Mary enjoyed it.  "My favourite part was when the Prince kissed Snow White and waking her up."  Mary chattered away all the way to Katie's.  Duncan pulled up in front of the MacDonald's home.  

"There's my ride, gotta go! By Mom, bye Dad!" Katie shouted as she ran out the door grabbing her schoolbooks off the counter.  Anne got out of the car long enough to hold the seat for Katie to scramble into the backseat with Mary. 

"We went to see Snow White, it was great," Mary informed Katie.

"Yeah, I liked Snow White too, I think it was the idea of a handsome Prince," Katie replied.  The two girls chattered happily all the way to the Lindsay home.

"Well, end of line ladies, I've had a great afternoon so far, but the good doctor and I have some plans," Duncan told Katie and Mary.  

"O.K, bye Duncan, bye mommy," Mary told pair.

"You'll be home when?" Katie asked.

"Hopefully by midnight, but I'll call if I'm later, and mommy will be up to kiss you goodnight." Anne said as she got back into the car.  They drove in silence to Mac's place.

"This isn't Joe's, or that new Italian place on the other side of town," she said in surprise.

"I wanted some place a bit more romantic, if that's not too presumptuous of me." Mac responded.

"No it's not, it's just- I'm afraid to disappoint you, I don't know if I'm ready for that yet." Anne replied flustered.

"If you're not, you're not. I understand." Duncan attempted to calm her as he opened the car door for her.  They were silent all the way up in the elevator.  The doors opened on a scene that took Anne's breath away.

"Duncan you really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble." Anne told him her gaze sweeping over the table set already for two with a wine-coloured table cloth contrasting with the white plates, on top of which were the wine coloured linen napkins to match.  In the middle was a tall golden candelabrum. 

"It's really no trouble at all, the pasta is all set to cook." Duncan assured her.

"I should help really," she told him.

"No, just make yourself comfortable," Duncan said.  So that's what Anne did walking over to the leather couch, kicking off her shoes and putting her feet up.  Dinner was soon ready, and Anne was sitting down across from the tall Highlander. 

"You got to ask me questions about my life, so now it's my turn to learn about the real Duncan McLeod," Anne informed him with a twinkle in her eye.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Well, I hear the beginning is a good place to start, so how about with your childhood in Scotland?" she inquired of him.

"My childhood in Scotland, hmmm, I had a rather happy one, at least by 14th century standards, I was an orphan, but luckily I was adopted my clan chieftain: Andrew McLeod and his wife Mary.  He loved me dearly, and treated me as though I was his own son, he was even grooming me to become one after he died, but I 'died' before he did, I was the age of 24, and wandered the moors for a while, not knowing what I was.  I came back for his funeral.  My mother believed I was some kind of ghost, and gave me my family's sword to carry.  Everybody thought I was a ghost, or some kind of monster." Duncan answered her, a note of regret in his voice.  

An uneasy silence filled the room as they ate, finally Anne said:

"Look Duncan, I'm really sorry if I bring up some bad memories for you, it's just I want to get to know the real you." 

"It's o.k. I want to you to know cause if there's any chance of us- I know I maybe jumping ahead, we have to be honest with each other," he responded.

"No, it isn't looking too far ahead, but if there is to be something between us I want to take it nice and slow, in other words more nights like tonight where we learn about each other, agreed?" Anne inquired hopefully.

"Yes, I'd love more nights like tonight," Duncan, responded with a smile.  They were silent as they finished the meal.

"Duncan that was fabulous, I'd forgotten how good your cooking is." Anne complimented.

"Now what?" she asked wondering what the next surprise was.

"Now we watch a movie," Duncan replied picking up a copy of Casablanca on his way to the TV.

"Casablanca! You remembered my favourite movie!!!!!! She squealed, snuggling herself back into the cushions. Duncan pushed the movie in and pressed play, and then took a place beside her.  She quietly leaned her head on his shoulder as the opening credits began.  "Bet on six," Rick told the patron, as he eyed the blonde coming through the door.  By the time Rick told Sam to "Play it again," Anne was asleep.  Duncan stopped the movie and picked the sleeping doctor up, carried her over and laid her down gently on his bed marvelling at how beautiful she looked while she was sleeping.  That being done he then called Anne's house and told them she wouldn't be home, and that he would pay Katie the extra money it would take to keep her there with Mary.

Early the next morning:

"Oh my, did I fall asleep during Casablanca?" Anne asked stifling a yawn as she sat up in bed, slowly realising her surroundings.

"Yeah you did, don't worry though, I slept on the couch" Mac responded walking towards the bed.  " I could take you home now, if you like," Mac suggested.

"Yeah, I should get home, that really was a great evening Mac, I enjoyed it." She told him in appreciation.  They got into his car then, and drove to Anne's house in silence.  

"I'll send Katie out, Anne told him, as she shut the car door.  He watched her walk to the house, open the door and go in.

"Katie, Mac's waiting in the car to take you home, Anne called.

"Coming Dr. Lindsay," Katie responded hurriedly stuffing everything she had brought into her purse, the only problem being it didn't close properly.

"And thank you for staying the night," Anne said gratefully.

"You're welcome," Katie responded as she ran across the lawn to Mac's car.  

"You're evening wasn't too eventful I hope?" Mac asked as Katie got into the car.

"Nope, we just ordered some pizza, and watched Cinderella." Katie responded, while rummaging through her bag. 

"I know they're in here somewhere she muttered, becoming so frustrated, she dumped her purse out on her lap, and found them as she was putting her stuff back into the purse.  'Where is that book, I know I brought it with me', she thought looking everywhere.

"Well here we are," Mac said.

"Thanks for the ride Mac", Katie said getting out of the car.  He waited until she waved from the doorway, then drove off.  As he was getting out of the car at his loft, he noticed a brown covered book on the floor in front of the passenger's side.  The title read: The Chronicle of Duncan McLeod.  'How did she get this?' he wondered, thinking to ask her the next time he saw her.

T.B.C.

Author's note: I don't own any line/character out of Casablanca, and I also potentially butchered the quotes, and quite possibly the plot, but pretty please don't sue me.

Review please!! Come on folks! I want at least two more.

I'll be waiting… 

Send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, the all mighty creator of the Highlander T.V. show does.  But I do own Katie, and the MacDonald family.

Summary: Come on, if you've read this far you should know what's going on.

Reviews: Yes please, any reviews provided would be met with great glee, but positive criticism only.

Author's notes: 1. Immortals can have kids.

                          2. Alexa did not die.

                          3. Methos, and Adam refer to the same person, and are interchangeable.

                          4. ""=Dialogue, and ''=thought

Chapter #4- The Child

The question of how his chronicle got into Katie's hands had been troubling Duncan for three days.  He'd been turning it over, and over in his mind but had only come to one inevitable conclusion: someone in her family was a watcher- his watcher to be exact.  For confirmation he went to see Joe.  

Joe's place:

"…so right before I dropped her off she was looking for her keys.  She dumped everything out on her lap, then once she found the keys she stuffed everything back into her purse.  The panic began as we pulled up in front of her house that she couldn't find a book she had brought with her, I told her that I would keep my eyes open for it and let her know if I found it.  When I got home I looked for it.  It was under my seat.  The book's title: The Chronicles of Duncan McLeod." Mac said.  

"And let me guess, you were wondering if we had any watchers named MacDonald? Let me make some calls," the watcher said limping over to his chair while his friend watched with some concern.  

"It's just this damn weather, one day rain, the next sun, the next rain again, and all the while these legs just keep bothering me" he said by way of explanation.  

"Yes, the name is MacDonald, M-A-C-D-O-N-A-L-D,"  Joe told his contact.  He listened briefly as the clerk looked up the required information.  Five minutes later he hung up the phone.

"Well…" Mac said prompting the watcher.

"Well, we did have a watcher named MacDonald, but he quit, but then I asked Hank to look up your chronicle, and he said it's turned up missing around the time MacDonald quit."  Joe told him, as Duncan rose from his seat across the desk from him and began pacing the floor.

"Do you think he stole it?" Duncan asked.

"I think it's a pretty safe bet, he left the watchers, took your book, and is tracking you why?, and as for the girl, she probably just picked it up, something random to read on a night baby-sitting, she doesn't even know what Daddy did."  Joe reasoned, attempting to reassure his nervous friend.

"That's a good question, one needing an answer, and a likely possibility about Katie."  Duncan responded.

" I have no clue as to why he wants me, or for what,"  Duncan continued straightening slightly as he spotted Methos in the doorway.

"How much have you heard?" Duncan inquired of the old man.

"Enough to know, that I may be of some assistance, Methos responded, strolling into the room.

"So, tell us, Oh wise one, oh great one, why is Andrew MacDonald after Mac?" Joe asked him, a sarcastic tone creeping into his voice.

"Revenge, as for why, let me tell you a little story.  The MacDonald Clan is a highland clan that ruled the Scottish Highlands before the McLeod's, the McLeod's, were family servants actually.  The MacDonald's were childless. So anyway, a woman- she'd be  your great-grandmother, was sent to wait table at a clan gathering to celebrate the wedding of Andrew's younger brother, Andrew- clan chieftain, was sitting alone in his den when Christina walked in, a mug of ale in her hand.  Is anything the matter mi' lord? She asked.  No, nothing at all, Andrew said rising to take the mug from her, and went to lean against the stone fireplace that dominated one wall.  I am old, and childless, Krissy, and my wife still older than me.  I fear we shall never be blessed with the son I so dearly need.  Kristina froze in her tracks near the doorway thinking all the while how dignified, he looked, and how it saddened her to think that he would never know the absolute joy a child would bring. She walked to the fireplace and stood beside him, placing a comforting hand on his back.  He nodded his head to her, grateful, that someone cared.  Suddenly, he kissed her, and she kissed him back.  They both gave in to their passion that night, and a few weeks later Kristina packed her suitcase and left the castle, never to return again.  "  Methos paused then for dramatic effect.

Joe picked up the thread then: 

"She was pregnant, she gave birth to a baby girl, and called it Andrea, after her father. It was Andrew MacDonald's firstborn.  She died shortly thereafter, a fall on a cold foggy night, she was walking home from the village and slipped on the ice.  No one knows what happened to the baby."  Duncan was silent all through this, taking it all in.  Finally he broke it:

"Just a theory, but I'm guessing that a McLeod killed the baby, and the MacDonald's then held a grudge, which, carried down through the generations an eye-for-an-eye type of deal, thinking that they should kill a McLeod's firstborn child, right?" Mac theorized, and they think that Mary is my firstborn right?" Mac continued beginning to pace, while thinking of the ramifications.

"I'm sorry to say but you may be right." Joe told his friend, not wanting to see the devastating look on his face.

"What am I going to tell Anne?" asked Duncan worriedly, glancing between both of his friends.

"You're not going to tell Anne anything until we have proof, and I say we wait to worry about that tomorrow, but right now, I need a drink," Methos told his friends leading the way out of the office.

"I do too." Duncan, and Joe responded in unison.

So what do you guys think?

Any reviews will be met with great glee, and I will try and incorporate any criticism into the story.

Send those reviews to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com

I'll be waiting. 


	5. Chapter #5

Disclaimer: The only characters I own are: Katie, and the MacDonald family.  The rest belong to the almighty creators of the Highlander T.V. series.

Author's notes: 1. Immortals can have children

                          2. Alexa is still alive

                          3. Methos, and Adam refer to the same person, and are interchangeable

                          4. ""=Dialogue, and ''= Thoughts

Reviews: Yes, any will be met with glee, and much hand clapping.

Summary: see Chapter #1,

The Child- Chapter #5

The Next Morning:

"Brrrrrrrrring! Brrrrrrrrrrrrring!" MacLeod woke to the phone ringing, 'what are people doing calling so early in the morning,' he thought.  He picked it up:

"He-Hello," he got out.

"Hey Mac, I was wondering what your plans were for the day?" an all too cheerful Anne asked him.

"Not much, I had hoped to sleep a little longer," he told her.  'God, I must have drunk an awful lot last night, cause I have a monster headache now,' he thought.

"A little longer! But it's 12:00 p.m, half the day is gone!" Anne said incredulously, then continued: "I was thinking we could go to a new exhibition at the art gallery, and then cause it's such a beautiful day we could go to an outdoor café down on the waterfront." She finished.

"Yeah, ok, Katie's looking after Mary?" Mac inquired.

"Yeah, she'll be here in any minute now." Anne returned.

"I'll come by in an hour then to pick you up." Mac decided.

"See you then." Anne told him.

One Hour later….

Ding-Dong! "I'll get it!!" Mary shouted.

"Mommy's just getting ready, she wants to look real pretty for you."  Mary told him.

"O.K, I'll wait."  Mac responded, as he followed her into the kitchen.  He glanced around him as he sat down on a chair.  He noticed a can of what appeared to be homemade chocolate chip cookies on the table in front of him.

"Want one, Katie made them." Mary asked him, as she took one herself.

"No thank-you, I'm not really hungry right now.  Maybe later though." Mac declined politely.

"Ready to go?" Anne asked walking in dressed in a white skirt that came to just above her knees, and a blue top.

"You look wonderful, as usual," Duncan complimented her.

"And that's why I keep you around" she tosses over shoulder as she leads the way to the front hall smiling, Katie, and Mary falling in behind Mac.

"You know the rules, bed by 9, 10 at the latest, you have my pager number in case you need it." Anne instructed Katie her voice taking on a mothering tone.

"Bye mommy, bye Duncan," Mary told the couple.

"Bye Mary," each of them told her, bending to place a kiss on the top of her head.  They left then Anne pulling the door shut behind her.  Duncan led the way across the lawn and opened the car door for her.

"Thank you Duncan, you always were a gentleman," she tells him a grin spreading across her face.  A comfortable silence fills the car all the way to the art gallery.  They step inside the gallery, to be greeted with something they weren't expecting: paintings of nude women. 

"Duncan, Duncan, yohoooooo, are you in there," Anne cajoled him, as he froze in his tracks beside her staring at the pictures.

"Wh-Wh-What, I'm here," he says taking his eyes off the picture and looking at his date.

"I swear to you, this isn't what I had in mind, there must have been a mistake.  We can leave, if you like," Anne rambled.

"No, let's stay, it's just I was caught off guard, I think I knew her," he explained.

"Oh, yeah I forgot.  The description of the exhibition called it historical women, and it didn't say what state they would be in.   I should have remembered that you might know some of them."  Anne apologized.

"Don't apologize, I am thankful that we get to have this time together, besides I get to see these women in an entirely new light," he assured her.  They stayed for an hour, walking among the art, Duncan telling stories of those females he did know, and making Anne laugh all the while.  They got to dinner just in time to watch the sunset turn the horizon into a rosy glow.  They ate dinner in a comfortable silence.  They walked to the car, and drove home, each lost in their thoughts.  

'How do I tell him, that Mary is his child.  I don't want to tie him down to one place, and his isn't exactly the lifestyle that lends itself to it…'

"Well here we are." Mac jarred her out of her thoughts.

"Mac what if I told you that you were Mary's father." Anne blurted out.

Stay tuned for Mac's answer.

And there she is, another chapter written, I know, I'm evil!!

But review please; they will be met with great glee.

Send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com

I'll be waiting. 


	6. Chapter #6

Disclaimer: The only characters I own are Katie, and the MacDonald family, the rest belong to the all-knowing creators of the Highlander T.V. series.

Author's notes: 1. I have recently begun my own fan fiction website: If you have any submissions please send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com.

                        2. Alexa did not die

                        3. Immortals can have children

                        4. Methos, and Adam refer to the same person, and are interchangeable.

                        5. ""= Dialogue, ''=thoughts

Summary: What you need to be told what it's about… see chp. #1

Reviews: Any you provide will be met with glee, and taken into consideration.

Chapter#6

He stopped the car in front of the house "Yeah right, Anne, if Mary's my kid, then I'm the king of Scotland, do you honestly know how many times that people have pulled that same trick?" He asked her.

"Well, Your majesty, she is" Anne tells him.

"I can't have children, you know that.  But for arguments sakes, let's say there is a flaw in that rule, how can you tell that she's mine?" 

"I-I just know, certain things that remind me of you, her dark curls, her sense of humour, her stubbornness. I just know, don't you remember that night in the emergency room, when the lights went out- Kenneth was in the chapel, you asked me how I was, I told you the baby was dancing a highland jig."  Anne finished.  Silence greeted her.

"Hmmmmmm, I think it's time we said good night Anne," Duncan told her abruptly, getting out of the car and walking over to her side of the car.  He opened the door for her.

"Duncan, please, believe me and don't leave like this, I n-need to explain myself, please stay."  Anne hurriedly said as tears were forming in her eyes.  They walked across the lawn and he opened the front door for her in silence. 

"Katie! Come now, and I'll give you a ride home," Duncan called.  Katie came downstairs and grabbed her coat, then preceded Mac out.

"Duncan, Duncan please, stay," Anne pleaded placing a hand on his shoulder.  Mac just shrugged her off and continued out.  The ride to Katie's was quiet.  

"Mac, have you seen a book that I had last time I babysat? I thought I left it at Anne's but I guess I didn't, it must have slipped out of my bag when I was looking for my keys, " Katie asked as they were pulling up in front of her house.

"No I haven't, but I'll keep my eyes peeled" Mac replied.

"Well here we are, end of the line.  Good night Katie."  Mac drove home then.  He didn't hear from Anne for three days.

Three days later…

'Mac, are you there, please pick up the phone, please be there' Anne thought to herself.

"Hello?"

"Mac, oh thank god you picked up.  Listen, um Mary's sick, she came down with a fever two days ago, and I've done everything I could to keep it down, every trick I know as a doctor, and a mother, and it's not doing any good.  I'm calling, cause I just thought you should know."  Anne hurriedly explained.

" You mean, you haven't taken her to the hospital yet?"  Mac asked her.

"No, I kept hoping it would go down, and then it didn't." Anne answered.

"I'll be over in five minutes then to take you guys to the hospital."  Mac told her, and then hung up the phone.  He hurriedly dressed then drove over to the Lindsay house.  He found the door unlocked.  Mac opened it:

"Hello, anyone home?" He called.

"In here", a voice called.  

Mac followed the voice to the living room to find a heartbreaking site-Mary, the Mary he looked after for a day, the Mary that was bold enough to call him handsome the first time she saw him, the Mary that had Joe chasing after her all over the bar, was lying on the sofa barely breathing, with Anne, holding her hand, occasionally letting go to moisten a cold compress for her forehead.

"Duncan you came," Anne said, relief flooding her voice.

"Why wouldn't I come, I've taken a liking to you, and that little one lying on the couch over there." Duncan answered.

"It's just, it's just, after the other night…" Anne stuttered.

"Sh, Sh, sh, we'll worry about that later, after we get Mary taken care of," Mac reassured her, walking over and taking Mary in his arms and leading the way out.  He strode resolutely over to the car and placed her gently in the backseat, with her head in Anne's lap. 

 The ride to the Emergency Room was solemn; Duncan drove up to the doors, and stopped his car, then gently lifted Mary into his arms, and followed Anne inside. 

Anne was immediately recognized, as was Mary and they were seen right away.  The Doctor told them that he suspected that Mary may have had a case of scarlet fever, but the only way to make sure was to keep her in the hospital overnight for observation.  They came out then to find Duncan nervously pacing.  Anne told him the diagnosis, and he offered to go to her house and pack her a bag for the night.

"No, it's alright, you don't even have to stay if you don't want to," She told him.

"No, I want to support you anyway I can through this," he answered her.

"That's sweet Duncan, thank you.  They're just admitting her to the children's ward now, so you can go for a coffee."

'I get the feeling, I'm going to need something a little stronger than coffee,' Mac thinks to himself.  He leaves her then intending to return in an hour.  He gets in the car, and starts to drive, and after a while realizes he's heading in the direction of Joe's bar.  He feels the need to talk to his friend, and briefly wonders if Methos might be around, so he drives up and parks.  He gets out, and as he walks toward the door feels the buzz.  He opens the door, and starts down the stairs.

" Hey Mac, long-time no see, you must be spending some quality time with the good doctor," Joe said in recognition of his friend.

"Well, sort of…" Mac trailed off.

"What's troubling you?" Joe asked.

"Nothing really, it's just something Anne told me the other night after our date." Mac said, not really unsure as to whether or not to tell him.

"What did she tell you?" Methos asked coming up to the bar.

"She told me that I was Mary's father, I told her that she should remember that immortals can't have kids, she responded that I did. Then we fought, I didn't see or hear from her until today, when she called and told me that Mary was ill.  I went over there and brought her to the hospital." Mac paused before continuing: That is true isn't it? We can't have kids, that is what Connor told me." 

"The last I checked it was true," Joe confirmed.

"Well, not exactly… Methos added.

"What do you mean not exactly?" demanded Duncan.

"What I mean is that immortals can have kids, with someone they truly love.  Connor only told you that because he himself was getting over a tragedy concerning his family*," Methos said.

"Oh, you mean it's true, so that would make Mary my firstborn, Oh my God! the vendetta! I have to get back to the hospital, it's time for me to tell Anne." Mac said and then walked out.  Methos and Joe followed out of concern for their friend. They got to the hospital at the same moment. Mac led the way to the children's ward, and found the room where Anne, and Mary were.

"Anne, I need to talk to you for a moment alone," Duncan said, his voice taking on a grave tone.  She followed him to the hospital coffee shop.  They ordered and sat down; both were silent as the waitress took their orders. 

"There's no easy way to tell you this…" Duncan began.

"So, just say it, especially if it is about Mary." Anne returned.

"Well, I have reason to believe that Mary was poisoned." Duncan stated simply.

*: Possibility of a prequel to this story, and I was wondering whether you guys thought I should do it.

Another chapter written, and I eagerly await your reviews, and will try and work them into my story.  Send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com

I do have my own fan fiction website, located at: http://communities.msn.com/Eclectic/

If you have any submissions send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com

A.B.


	7. Chapter #7- the new and improved?? versi...

Disclaimer: The only characters I own are Katie, and her family.  The rest belong to the creators of the Highlander TV show.

Authors notes: 1. I have recently begun my own fan-fiction website, if you have any submissions please send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com

                        2. Alexa did not die

3. Methos and Adam refer to the same person and are interchangeable.

4. Immortals can have children

5. ""= Dialogue, and ''= thoughts

Summary: see chapter #1

Reviews: greatly encouraged, and devoured with much glee!! In other words: please do.

Chapter #7

"Excuse me, but you did say poison, as in a foreign toxin was introduced into my little girl's body" Anne asked disbelievingly, before continuing how? And, more importantly who would do such a thing to my little baby, Anne demanded with tears springing to her eyes.

" Sh, sh, sh, Anne calm down sweetie, calm down," Duncan told her soothingly reaching across the table to grasp her hands with his.  

"So are you going to answer my question or be as elusive as you always are" Anne demanded. 

" In answer, let me tell you a story," Duncan began by way of introduction.  Then told the story.

"So the motive might be: vengeance?" Anne asked in confirmation.

"Yeah, but to confirm that this was indeed what it was I need to ask you a question: Was Mary eating anything unusual the day we went to the art gallery?"

"Other than those cookies that Katie brought over, nope." Anne answered.

"She's not allergic to chocolate, is she?" asked Duncan.

"Nope, no food allergies at all, as a matter of fact she's been extremely healthy her whole life up until this point," Anne answered, wondering where the questioning was leading.

" Katie's last name is MacDonald right?" Duncan asked

"Yes, oh Duncan, you don't honestly think…" Anne trailed off making the connection.

"Unfortunately, yes, I do think that this is the same family." Duncan told her confirming her unspoken thought. 

" So, now what do we do, do we confront the girl?" Anne asked him.

" We could ask her about the cookies, then go from there." Duncan returned, a plan already half-formed in his head.  They got up from their seats, having finished their coffee, and left the coffee shop, and walked back to Mary's room in silence, Anne absorbing what they had talked about, and Duncan trying to form a plan of action.  They walked into the room to find Joe asleep in the chair, and Methos staring out the window. Sensing their approach Methos walked towards the door.

"Someone named Katie was here," he informed them quietly so as not to wake Joe.

" I'm going to do this Duncan," Anne told Duncan with resolve in her voice.

"OK," Duncan agreed.

 'Uh oh, that was way, way, too easy, what is he planning?'  Anne asked herself, and then thought that she'd better not push her luck.  She grabbed her coat, then hurriedly left, hoping that she caught up with Katie.  She caught up with her in the parking lot, where taxis usually picked visitors up. 

" Wait up, let me give you a ride home instead," Anne called.  Recognizing the voice Katie turned and agreed.  Together, they walked to the car.  Anne opened up the driver side and got in. They drove halfway to Katie's house in complete silence.  Finally Anne broke it.

" There's really no easy way for me to ask this but I have to as my daughter is in hospital right now possibly dying, Katie did you in any way poison Mary?" Anne asked her.  Silence then for a few seconds as Katie absorbed what she was being asked.

" I-I didn't know what was in those cookies, m-my dad said when he brought them home from work that a co-worker made them, I didn't know I swear it, if I knew that a harmless cookie, or seemingly harmless one would do this much harm I would never have brought them over to your house that day, I swear it." Katie stuttered, breaking into tears as she finished.  Anne pulled over and put her arm around Katie in attempt to comfort, 

"Sh, sh, sh, it's going to be okay, I know you didn't mean anything by it, I know.  Now, I need you to tell me if there are any more of that same batch of cookies around," Anne asked

"Yes," Katie stated simply.

"Could you get me one so that I could run tests on it?" Anne inquired.

"Yes, I'll do it when you drop me off." Katie answered.

"Good." Anne told her as she pulled away from the curb.  They drove the rest of the way in silence.  Finally they pulled up in front of the MacDonald house.  Katie pushed the car door open and got out.  When she entered the house she made for the half full cookie tin.  She grabbed one, went back outside where she passed it through the window to a waiting Anne. 

"There you go, and Ms. Lindsay, I hope Mary's going to be all right." Katie told her.

" So do I, Katie, so do I." Anne responded.  Anne pulled away from the curb.  She sped back to the hospital.  Before going to the lab, she stopped by Mary's room to check on her, and update Duncan on the latest developments.

"Duncan, You're right, it was Katie's family, I asked her point blank and she said that it was the cookies.  She told me that her dad brought them from work, he told her a co-worker made them.  I think she's an innocent in this.  Anyway, she gave me a cookie to test, so I'll be in the lab," Anne apprised Duncan.

" Do you want any help?" asked   Methos, wanting to do anything but keep staring out that confounded window.

" I don't need any help, but I would like some company if you wouldn't mind." Anne responded.

"Nope, not at all, lead the way." Methos responded cheerfully.  They made small talk on the way, Anne telling him about Mary, and Methos paying polite attention.  Anne paused at a doorway to scan her hospital ID, which, she kept on her at all, times.  She held open the door for Methos, who walked through, glanced around him and muttered to himself:

" Wow, this brings back memories, I haven't been in a lab in decades."  

Anne busied herself preparing a workstation, bringing a microscope, and slides over.  She set them on the tabletop, then broke the cookie up into pieces, and placed them on each of the five slides.  She placed the first under the microscope.  She stared in disbelief, turned her eyes away from the microscope and blinked.

"Mind if I have a look, I have some, medical training?" Methos asked.

" No, go right ahead." Anne responded.  Methos stepped up to the microscope and peered into it.  

"Holy  Moses…!" he cursed softly under his breath.

"What's wrong?" inquired Anne.

"There's enough poison in here to kill not just a little girl, but a whole army!" Methos answered.

" I thought there was an awful lot in there." Anne told him.

" Have you seen this poison before?" Anne asked Methos.

"Yes, I have, but before I tell where, or how, there's something you should know about me…"

"That you're immortal, don't worry, I know about them, Duncan told me about himself, and the whole there can be only one bit, so what is it you were going to tell me about the poison?" Anne cut him off.

" I was going to say, that I have seen it before, and that it manifests itself in the blood in a form of leukemia, that can be cured by a blood transfusion from an immortal."  Methos told her.

" So all I have to do is test you guys for a match to Mary?" asked Anne.

" Yes, that's it, now let's get to it", he tells her rolling up his sleeves.  Anne put aside the microscope and the remaining slides with the cookie on them.  Then she walked to the adjoining office reached into a drawer and pulled out two syringes, and a tourniquet just in case.  Methos watched her approach from the stool he had seated himself upon.

"This shouldn't hurt, and should only take a minute," she told him by way of explanation. She put the needle in and began to draw blood.  She drew just one tube full, enough to test it.

" Go back down now, to Mary's room and get Duncan, then bring him back here," she instructed him.

" Yes maam," Methos said smiling at her on the way to the door.  Ten minutes later she heard a knock at the door.  She opened it.

" Methos said you have a cure?" Duncan inquired anxiously.

" The possibility of one, he says that he's seen the poison before and knows how it manifests itself."  Anne told him.

" Something about a blood transfusion from an immortal…" Duncan said.

" Yes that's it, and why you're here now.  Make a fist." She instructed him as she put the needle in.  She was done in a matter of seconds.

" Ok, you're done now."

" Now what?" Duncan asked.

" Now you go back down to Mary's room, and I go and give these blood samples to the labs to be tested, don't worry, I'll supervise them personally.  They shouldn't take more than a couple of hours," Anne told him.

Two hours later…

"Well, I have good news, there is a match," Anne told the assembled group of Joe- who was now awake, Methos, and Duncan.

" Well, who is it?" Methos and Duncan asked in unison.

" The match is: Duncan."  She stated simply, knowing that the implications of her statement would soon sink in.

I eagerly await those reviews. Send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com, along with any submissions you might have for my fan-fiction website located at:    

http://communities.msn.com/Eclectic/

AB


	8. Chapter #8

Disclaimer: The only characters I own are Katie and her family, the rest belong to the creators of the Highlander TV show.  
  
Author's notes: 1. I have recently started my own fan-fiction website. If you have any contributions please send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com  
  
Alexa did not die  
  
Methos and Adam refer to the same person and are interchangeable  
  
Immortals can have children  
  
""= Dialouge, and ''= thoughts  
  
  
  
Reviews? Yes please, I like them, and it helps to know how I'm doing  
  
Summary: see Chapter #1  
  
  
  
The Child Chapter#8  
  
She didn't wait for the shock and regret to register on his face but turned on her heel and walked out. She began walking down the hospital corridor in the direction of the lab, but after a few steps froze as she suddenly realized the implications of her statement. 'Now that he had the scientific proof he would want to do right by her and marry me,' Anne thought to herself as she sunk down against the wall suddenly terrified of that, she began to cry, and once she started she couldn't stop. Mac came out and found her in this way.  
  
" Oh Anne, I-I'm so sorry, sorry for hurting you by not beliving, sorry for stonewalling you, I'm just so…" Mac broke off, as he realized she was still crying. ' It's not supposed to be this way, she should be happy…' he thought to himself as he bent down and held her as she cried.  
  
" What's wrong?" He finally asked her with a look of concern on his face.  
  
" It's ju-just that I'm the one that lied to you in the first place and you're apologizing to me. And I'm mad at myself for being so scared, and frightened of telling you." She took a gulp of air before continuing:  
  
I was scared of your reaction, but at the same time I had to tell someone, so I told Joe, and now I feel even worse because here you are back in my life and I feel like you've missed out on so much of her growing up, her first word, her first step, and her first tooth because of me." Anne finished as she wanted to catch her breath. There was silence between the couple then. Finally Mac broke it:  
  
" You told Joe, so what? I'm almost 500 years old and I go to Joe every once in a while when I need to unburden myself. Immortals can gather an awful lot of emotional baggage, " Duncan told her with a half-smile on his face.  
  
"I wish it were that simple, but it's not, it's a bit more complex than that," Anne told him as she removed his arm from around her shoulders and got up.  
  
" Not now, later. Right now, I have a daughter to save." Mac told her, liking how that sounded coming off of his tongue.  
  
"Follow me then," Anne answered her voice returning to normal as she began walking towards the lab. Mac waited a few seconds before following. They arrived at the lab at the same time. Anne pulled her keys out of her pocket and opened the door and went in, Duncan followed.  
  
" Pull up a stool, I'll go get a syringe. I shouldn't need very much blood." Anne assured him as she walked to a drawer and pulled out the required items then turned back to Mac.  
  
" Make a fist," she instructed looking for a vein. She was obeyed.  
  
" This should only take a minute," Anne informed him sticking the needle in. A moment later when the tube was full, Mac climbed off the stool. She placed a stopper in the tube and followed him out.  
  
" I'll go grab us a coffee and meet you back in Mary's room," Mac offered.  
  
" Ok, but instead of coffee get me some chamomile teal with milk- no sugar," she told Mac.  
  
" Chamomile tea, with milk, no sugar, got it," Mac repeated as the pair parted.  
  
20 min. later…  
  
Mac walks up the hall with the drinks in hand, and not very well balanced. He pauses just outside of Mary's room to get his balance, and he can hear voices coming from inside:  
  
" You mean, you didn't tell him?" Joe asked incredulously  
  
" I tried to, but he wouldn't hear it." Anne answered. Mac chose this moment to make his entrance.  
  
" Tell me what?" Mac asked stepping through the doorway.  
  
" Tell you that Mary is starting to wake up," Anne said moving towards the bed. 'Wow, that was close; Anne thought as she took up her baby's hand.  
  
So, our darling doctor has a secret that I didn't tell!  
  
To find out, you must review!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Also: I have my own fan-fiction website at: http://communities.msn.com/Eclectic/home.msnw  
  
If you have any submission please send them to my e-mail address at: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com  
  
A.B 


	9. Chapter#9

Disclaimer: the only characters that I own are Katie, and the MacDonald family. The rest belong to the creators of the highlander TV series and are merely being borrowed for the purposes of this story.  
  
Author's notes: 1. I have started my own fan-fiction website. Anyone who has a submission may send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com  
  
2. Immortals can have children  
  
Adam and Methos refer to the same person and are interchangeable.  
  
  
  
Alexa is still alive.  
  
""= Dialogue, ''= thoughts  
  
A character to be introduced in this chapter is to be known only as: the voice.  
  
  
  
Summary: See first chapter  
  
Reviews: much encouraged, please send them to the e-mail address listed above.  
  
Chapter #9  
  
"Mmmmmmmmm"  
  
Upon hearing the sound Duncan crossed the threshold then, and walked towards the waking child. He took the chair on the side closest to the door, and handed Anne her drink. He sat contemplating Mary's dark curly hair as she continued to stir. 'I still can't believe that you are mine, there is so much I want to teach you my Mary, I want to show you where I grew up, I want to teach you to ride a bike, to tie your shoes, in short I want to show you everything.' He reached out then, and took her tiny delicate hand in both of his. Just as he did her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Mommy," Mary cried,  
  
"I'm here baby, I'm here, and so is Duncan, and your uncle Joe," Anne said a smile springing to her face.  
  
"You had us really scared there kiddo, we were afraid that you wouldn't wake up" Joe said, as he walked towards the bed.  
  
"Mommy, I had the strangest dream just now, you were in it, and so was Duncan. You guys were somewhere not nice, and there was people screaming…"  
  
Anne cut her off: "sh, sh, sh. You need to get some sleep, so you can be strong. Maybe tomorrow you can come home."  
  
"Really mommy?" Mary looked up at her with a hopeful face.  
  
"Yes, really, now you go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning." Anne said smiling and kissing her daughter on the cheek. Mary closed her eyes then and began to fall asleep.  
  
"Well I for one, feel like celebrating, this small miracle, shall I take you to dinner?" Mac asked Anne.  
  
"Yeah, that would be great Duncan, but let's make it something quick please, I don't want to miss a moment with my daughter." Anne said in acceptance of the invitation  
  
" Don't worry Anne, I'll stay, and call you on Duncan's cell phone if anything changes." Joe offered,  
  
"And I, will stay to keep gramps here company, but I will walk you out." added Methos following the happy twosome out. They walked out in silence, and parted when they got to the parking lot.  
  
"Remember call, if anything, and I mean anything changes," Anne instructed Methos.  
  
" Yes Ma'am," Methos responded grinning taking out his own cell phone as Anne and Duncan continued walking to the car. As soon as Duncan and Anne rode out of the hospital parking lot Methos dialed his phone.  
  
"Hello?" the voice asked gruffly.  
  
" I am through covering for you, poisoning the child to death was not part of our bargain," Methos told the person.  
  
" Really, cause that's not what you said when we last met," The voice responded skeptically.  
  
" I was different then, now it's not me you're messing with, it's one of my friends, and his family," Methos responded angrily.  
  
" A horseman has 'friends' now, oohhhh how touching," the voice responded sarcastically.  
  
"Look, to put it in terms you will understand: I will no longer be used as your errand boy. We are through. I won't challenge you to a duel, but if you ever, even think of messing with my friends or their child again I will reconsider that decision." Methos said menacingly and then hung up the phone and walked back into the hospital.  
  
Well what'd ya think? Something a little shorter, that will hopefully get you thinking, about what's coming. Send reviews and submissions to my fan- fiction website to angelsbabe15@hotmail.com 


	10. Chapter #10- this should be better...

Disclaimer: The only characters I own in this fic are Katie and the MacDonald family. The rest belong to the creators of the highlander television series.  
  
Author's notes: 1. I have started my own fan-fiction website, so please send them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com  
  
2. Immortals can have children  
  
3. Methos and Adam refer to the same person and are interchangeable.  
  
Alexa did not die  
  
5 ""= dialogue, ''= thoughts  
  
Summary: see chapter #1  
  
Reviews: Greatly appreciated  
  
Chapter #10  
  
Methos walked back into the hospital room and set his cell phone on the bedside table and stood glaring a minute.  
  
" What did the cell phone do to you old man?" Joe asked from his perch where he was leaning against a windowsill.  
  
Methos thought for a moment before muttering in response: "damn telemarketers can't take no for an answer."  
  
"Oh, I see," the watcher responded simply. The pair were silent for a time, with Methos re-taking his station staring moodily out the window. Around an hour later Methos straightened as he felt the approach of MacLeod, and Anne talking and laughing all the way down the hall. The glare disappeared off Methos' face as he turned to greet his friends. 'I'll have to question him about it later.' Joe thought.  
  
"Joe, can I talk to you outside in the hall for a moment?" Anne asked smiling.  
  
" Don't worry, it's nothing bad" Mac added as Joe followed Anne out.  
  
"Well did you tell him?" Joe asked expectantly.  
  
"Yes, I did, and he was completely fine with it. He totally accepted the fact that you were listed on Mary's birth certificate as her father and endorsed my decision," Anne said grinning.  
  
" Well, what all did he say?" asked Joe.  
  
"He said that he realized that his lifestyle isn't exactly good for raising children and that he could see why I would choose you over him. He also went onto compliment me on a choice of father, and even said that he couldn't do better." She said excitedly  
  
"Does this mean you two have a chance to get together on a more permanent basis?" Joe asked.  
  
" It looks like it," Anne told him excitedly as she leads him back into the room. She took her place on the bed next to Mary and took up the little hand in hers, as Mary begins to stir.  
  
"Mommy, " Mary said her voice still weak.  
  
" I'm right here baby, and so is Uncle Joe, and Duncan, and Adam, and we all love you very much, " Anne reassured her tiredly.  
  
" I should take you home," Mac says putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
" No, I want to stay, at least until she falls back to sleep again."  
  
"O.K, I'll stay with you, so you guys can go home." Mac instructs.  
  
" Come on Joe, I'll give you a ride home" Methos tells Joe.  
  
" Let's go then and leave these three in peace." Joe affirms. They leave then, and walk down the hall to the elevator in silence. They get into the elevator. Finally Joe breaks the silence: " Do you wanna talk about that little display earlier?" Joe asks his companion.  
  
" No, not really," Methos responds tiredly.  
  
" Come on old man, you don't glare just because of a lousy telemarketer, what's really going on?" Joe prodded.  
  
" Let's just say that I did something I'm not proud of many years ago and have been paying for it ever since." Methos told him cryptically.  
  
"Oh." Joe replied as the elevator doors opened on the lobby, and as they were getting off, Katie was getting on.  
  
" Good evening Katie," Joe greeted the young woman.  
  
"Evening Mr. Dawson, I'm just on my way up to see Mary."  
  
" Good, I think she'll appreciate that." Joe returned as he and Methos walked down the hall towards the parking lot, and left.  
  
'Well that was nice meeting him,' Katie thought to herself as she walked into the elevator to go to Mary's room. When she got there, she found a happy scene: the little girl propped up against a pillow and eating some of her dinner when she noticed Katie in the doorway  
  
"Katie! Did you bring me some more cookies?" Mary asked, as Duncan and Anne both grimaced.  
  
" No, I didn't but I did bring you this," Katie says bringing out a teddy bear she bought in the gift shop before coming up.  
  
" Thank you, I love him already, I think I'll name him Duncan." Mary told her, and both Duncan and Anne giggled. The two girls visited a little while before Mary began to yawn.  
  
" I think I had better take you two home, and let the little patient get her beauty rest." Duncan said.  
  
" Ok, goodnight sweetie, you get one of the nurses to call home if you need anything during the night," Anne says placing a kiss on top of the black curly head.  
  
" Don't worry mommy, I'll be fine, cause I've got Duncan." She tells Anne hugging her newest friend to her."  
  
" Ok, guys, let's head out. Do you want a ride home Katie?" Duncan asked  
  
"Yes, that would be really great, thanks, I don't fancy walking home in the dark. And I do have that book that you want." Katie told him.  
  
" In that case, let's go." Duncan said leading the way out to the elevator. The threesome walked to the car in silence. Duncan and Katie got in the front seat, as her house was the first stop. Anne climbed into the backseat and made herself comfortable, so comfortable in fact that she fell asleep just as they reached Katie's house.  
  
" Well here we are," Duncan whispered.  
  
" Yes, now I'll just be a minute." Katie whispered back taking out her keys and going into the house." Duncan waited five minutes then Katie re- appeared.  
  
" Would you mind coming in for a minute while I look, it wasn't where I thought it was," Katie told Mac.  
  
" O.K." Mac says getting out of the car and following Katie into the house. He opened the door and climbed the stairs into the kitchen where he stood while Katie nervously searched through the drawers of a kitchen desk, all the while muttering to herself anxiously. Suddenly she snapped her fingers in realization.  
  
" Wait right here for a minute please, I know where it might be, she told Mac and disappeared downstairs.  
  
Mac stood still and began to wonder if she even still had the book. In the middle of his thoughts, he straightened up as that familiar buzz hit him. He looked up and noticing a pair of eyes looking back out of the shadows of the landing introduced himself to them. " I'm Duncan McLeod of the Clan MacLeod, and who are you?"  
  
"You are the same as ever Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod I will not give you my name but leave you this clue: look to your past, for only in myth shall you find me," the voice told him.  
  
I leave it here, for you to think about whom this masked man might be. Man is it fun to be evil!  
  
Remember I have a fan-fiction website, please send submissions to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com  
  
Reviews are most welcome and encouraged. 


	11. Chapter #11

Disclaimer: The only characters I own are: Katie, and the MacDonald clan. All the rest belong to the creators of the Highlander series  
  
Sorry for the delay- that pesky writers block of mine.  
  
Author's notes: 1. I have my own fan-fiction website, and any submissions can be e-mailed to me at: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com  
  
2. Immortals can have children  
  
Methos and Adam are used to refer to the same person  
  
Alexa did not die  
  
""= Dialouge, ''= Thoughts  
  
Summary: see chapter #1  
  
Reviews: Greatly encouraged.  
  
Chapter #11  
  
Duncan went to Joe's bar the next morning to tell his friend of the very curious encounter he had the previous evening.  
  
" His last words were: You are the same as ever Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod, I will not give you my name but leave this one clue: look to your past, for only in myth shall you find me." Duncan finished.  
  
" Only in myth." Joe muttered as he sat down at his desk. Suddenly he jerked his head up: " You don't think Methos might know something about this do you?"  
  
" I not only think that but I'd be willing to bet my head on it," Duncan replied as he rose to go to the office doorway. " I'll get him, he just came in." As he opened the doorway tendrils of feminine laughter could be heard.  
  
" Adam quit flirting with the waitresses and get your butt back here!" Duncan shouted.  
  
" Ladies I shall tell you the story of Nero and his horse next time I have the honour to visit this fine establishment." And Adam walked back to the office, shutting the door behind him.  
  
" O.K. gentlemen make this quick for my public awaits," Methos said in greeting to his two friends.  
  
" I'll get right to it then: Have you at any point in your life known an immortal named MacDonald?" Duncan asked abruptly.  
  
" MacDonald, MacDonald, I don't suppose there's a chance that you might mean Ronald MacDonald?" Methos responded sarcastically looking everywhere but the eyes of his friends.  
  
" I'll bet my head you know more than you're telling, now spill it Methos! Spill it!" Duncan demanded.  
  
" All right, I do. Do you remember the story I told you about before the Clan MacLeod reigned in the highlands?"  
  
" Yes, what of it?" Duncan responded.  
  
" I told it like I was there, which in most cases is the mark of a good storyteller."  
  
" And were you there?" Duncan demanded.  
  
" Yes actually I was. I was there to visit a friend of mine, your kinsman Connor MacLeod. He had this idea of throwing out the ruling regime, the MacDonald's- some vendetta that MacDonald had something about Connor getting the girl he wanted. He decided to kill the girl, and Connor wanted revenge. On a whim I decided to join him. So a bunch of willing clansmen along with ourselves conspired to infiltrate and kill Andrew MacDonald. I would infiltrate the castle, become a close confidante of MacDonald, then, when next he left the castle I would arrange for Connor and his clansmen to meet up with him, dressed as highway robbers, and it would end up being a tragic end of the good Earl MacDonald." Methos paused to take a breath  
  
" That's it, how you know Andrew MacDonald, why that explains nothing" MacLeod interrupted.  
  
" I wasn't finished yet oh impatient Highlander," Methos responded  
  
" Well it was the end of Andrew MacDonald, or so we thought, I moved on about my journeys, just as Connor moved on to set up a kinsman in the Earl's seat. Before I knew it a century had passed. I decided it was safe enough after what I had done to go and see how Connor was making out. While I was there, and walking through the village below the castle as a matter of fact I sensed the presence of one of us. I looked up and saw the very face I had killed just over a century before. In short gentlemen the good Earl MacDonald was immortal." Methos paused then, for dramatic effect.  
  
" There's more isn't there?" Mac asked.  
  
" How very perceptive of you highlander, of course there's more." Methos responded, before continuing.  
  
" We met together, spoke. We agreed that for the time being we would lay off each other. And we did, I didn't hear from him for another 350 years. And when I did, it was purely by accident.  
  
" What do you mean by accident?" Joe inquired  
  
Methos continued: " Well, I traveled to the Chezch Republic, this was about 350 years later to visit with Kronos. He, and I were seated on the porch of his home discussing another one of his plans for world, or rather he was telling me about it, and I was talking him out of it, or trying to at least- darn that conscience of mine! Anyway, we fought; screaming, yelling, the whole deal almost to the point of dueling. We both didn't realize the presence of another immortal, until I looked up and saw MacDonald's face in the bushes. Kronos stomped off; angry he would fail in his quest for world domination. I walked around then, to where I had seen his face- a bush at the corner of the yard. He was gone, his footprints leading back towards the centere of the city. I didn't see him for another 75 years. I had not realized just how close he was that day with Kronos, he must have heard all of our arguments, because when next we met he addressed me as Methos."  
  
" And he's been blackmailing you ever since with the truth." Mac finished.  
  
" Now that you know my story, may I leave? I'm supposed to take the lovely Alexa to lunch." Methos asked.  
  
" Yeah, go old man, and give her my love," Joe said.  
  
The ancient immortal rose then, and left the office, closing the door behind him. There was silence between Mac, and Joe. Until Joe finally broke it:  
  
" What now?"  
  
  
  
Well, what does Mac do now?  
  
Wanna know? Review and just maybe I might tell you.  
  
You can either post those reviews here, or e-mail them to me: at angelsbabe15@hotmail.com, along with any submissions you would care to post on my website.  
  
Also, thinking about writing a sequel to this story, what would you think? - Angel's Babe 


	12. chapter 12

Disclaimer: The only characters that belong to me are the MacDonald Clan. The rest belong to the all mighty creators of the highlander TV show.  
  
Author's notes: here we go, the beginning of the end, if there is demand for a sequel, it will be written. 2. Methos, and Adam refer to the same person 3 ""= dialogue, and ''=thoughts  
  
Reviews: yes, of course, u bet, pretty please with a cherry, and rainbow sprinkles on top.  
  
Chapter #12  
  
"What now?" Joe asked the sullen Scotsman sitting at across from him for the second time. There was a long pause, as Duncan ran through the possibilities.  
  
" I have to leave the man alive. He has a child, as I do, and I can sympathize with having my life threatened on a daily basis." Duncan said, a note of finality coming into his voice.  
  
"Remarkable, you are absolutely remarkable. Your sense of honour knows no bounds does it MacLeod? After all this man has put you through. using his own daughter for his own ends, almost killing your child, and instead of vowing vengeance, or taking his head, as the game demands, you, you leave him alive?! How?" Joe responded incredulously.  
  
"I don't do it for his sake, as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't deserve to even live for what he did, but I do it for Katie's sake, because she deserves to have at least one parent, alive, and if that means, I have to ignore the game, just this once I will." Duncan responded.  
  
"How are you going to tell Anne?" Joe asked the all-important question.  
  
" I guess you were too involved with your discussion to hear me come in", came a female voice from behind them. The two men turned to look.  
  
"Yes, how and what were you going to tell me, Anne continued.  
  
"A-Anne honey, I was going to tell you the entire story." Duncan responded turning his head to look.  
  
"Okay, now you've completely lost me MacLeod." Anne said  
  
"Do you remember when Mary was in the hospital we realized that she had been poisoned by eating that cookie that Katie gave her?" Duncan asked by way of introduction.  
  
"Yes," was the simple answer.  
  
" Here's the rest of the story: A couple of days after that Joe realized my chronicle went missing, so I took a look around for it. I searched everywhere, and even asked Katie about it. She had it, so when I took her home one night, I asked her to get it for me. So I went with her into the house, and waited while she went to retrieve it. While I was waiting, I could sense another immortal, and looked up. At the landing was a man- Katie's father was looking down at me." Duncan told her.  
  
"So you're saying he's immortal." Anne stated.  
  
"Yes." Mac answered.  
  
"Are you going to leave him alive?" Anne asked.  
  
"Yes, Anne I am. He may be slime, and a user, but he is a father, and Katie deserves to have one parent living." Duncan explained.  
  
"SO YOU'RE TELLING ME, THAT YOU ARE GOING TO LEAVE THE MAN THAT TRIED TO KILL MY BABY ALIVE?! ARE YOU CRAZY? WHAT'S TO STOP HIM FROM TRYING AGAIN?" Anne shouted at Duncan.  
  
"Yes, and to the question of him trying again. Hopefully, gratitude that there is one less immortal out there that wants his head," came the weak response.  
  
"GRATITUDE! WILL YOU STOP BEING SUCH A BOY SCOUT AND GROW UP MACLEOD, GRATITUDE DOES NOT STOP PEOPLE FROM KILLING EACH OTHER, IN THE MORTAL OR IMMORTAL WORLDS." Anne yelled back, as she slapped him, and then walked out.  
  
"PLEASE UNDERSTAND IT FROM MY POINT OF VIEW ANNE. PLEASE." Duncan shouted after her desperately.  
  
"I suppose you'll be wanting something stronger than coffee?" Joe asked.  
  
"Yeah, thanks Joe." Mac responded.  
  
And so another chapter ends.  
  
Review for two reasons: 1. I'm not entirely sure, that made sense in the context of my story; so let me know if it's even the slightest bit off. 2. I'm holding the next chapter hostage, until I get at least one review.  
  
So: cheers, and happy holidays. -Angel's babe 


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters with the exception of Katie, and the MacDonald clan.  
  
Summary: see Chapter #1  
  
Author's notes: 1. Methos and Adam refer to the same person ""= Dialogue, ''= Thoughts If you people want a sequel, it will be written  
  
Reviews: greatly encouraged.  
  
Chapter #13  
  
"So, how long are you delaying?" Joe asked, as he poured a 10th shot in the last hour of scotch for Duncan.  
  
" Isss it that obvious that I'm delaying?" Duncan answered, beginning to slur his words.  
  
"Sadly yes." Joe responded, watching him down the shot in one gulp. 'Man, I'd forgotten it took so much to get an immortal drunk,' Joe thought to himself, pouring the 11th shot.  
  
"Duncan, I think it's time I called a cab to take you home." Joe said firmly. 'Before you drink me out of house and home' he added to himself silently.  
  
"g'me 'nother un" Duncan told Joe.  
  
"No, you're cut off buddy." Joe replied.  
  
"M'n m' head is pounding," Duncan complained.  
  
"That's because your taxi has arrived." Joe returned, indicating the arrival of Methos.  
  
"Take him home, and make sure he gets into bed for the rest of the day" Joe instructed.  
  
"Yes sir." Methos responded taking the big Scotsman under one arm.  
  
C.O.S.: The loft 5 hours later:  
  
"Ohhhhh, my head, it feels like I got hit with a sledgehammer." Duncan groaned, before finally rising out of bed.  
  
"Take two of these and then get into a nice hot shower. Oh, and one more thing: be honest with your girl friend." A female voice responded.  
  
"Oh god, not twice in one day. I can't take this." Duncan groaned, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He thought for a moment.  
  
"By the way, how'd you get in here?" he asked her.  
  
"Richie was worried; he called me, so I came over." Anne responded.  
  
Suddenly the memory of the entire day came flooding back to MacLeod, with painful clarity.  
  
"Anne, I." He began.  
  
"Sh, sh, sh. We'll talk things through after your shower" She cut him off, and slipped him the two Tylenol. She didn't see him for the next 15 minutes, while he showered, and changed. He came back out, and sat down on the sofa.  
  
"I'm guessing we have some issues to work through," he stated the obvious.  
  
"Let me start." She responded.  
  
"When I left Joe's today I was angry beyond belief. Our little girl had been poisoned to near death, and you who were in the position to avenge her wrongs did not. I eventually got over that anger. I realized how much it took for you, to put aside and look beyond this game towards greater human qualities. And that, as a doctor is all I could ask for, and as a mother that was all I could ask for in a father." She started off the discussion.  
  
"Just as I know now that you wanted justice, that your beautiful baby was almost killed. You did not want to show anybody any mercy. That is a perfectly normal reaction. But please understand, that after I learned about MacDonald's status, I still couldn't kill him. Because he too, had a baby girl that he had to provide for, something to which, I can completely relate. So, I finally came to the decision that I had to let him live. I wanted to kill him, believe me I wanted to see that man dead for what he did to my daughter." Duncan replied, taking a breath.  
  
" Now do you see where I'm coming from?" he plaintively asked her.  
  
"Yes, and I know that you see where I'm coming from." she affirmed.  
  
"So where does that leave us?" He asked, changing the tone of the discussion.  
  
"I don't really know for sure, all I know, for sure is that I love you, and want to have you in my life in some form or other." She said.  
  
"I love you too, and I love our daughter. You don't know how much I want to be in your lives, to experience the joy of raising a family. I need something that's wonderful and pure in my life, something that will take my mind off the dreariness of my life." He told her passionately. She began crying.  
  
"Anne, what's wrong?" He asked her.  
  
"I-I-It's nothing, it's just, it's happy tears." She stuttered realizing that there was no man on earth who made her as happy as Duncan was making her right now. "So now to the all-important question: Do we continue dating?" he asked her.  
  
"We can." She said, leaving an opening for the obvious.  
  
Suddenly acting on impulse Duncan asked:  
  
"Anne Lindsay, would you marry me?"  
  
"Yes." She responded firmly.  
  
  
  
Questions, comments, and reviews can either be posted here or e-mailed to me: Angels Babe: at: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com.  
  
Thanks: and Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!! 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The only ones I own are the MacDonald Clan, the rest I'm just borrowing to play with for a while, I'll put 'em back on the shelf, I promise.  
  
Author's notes: 1. Methos, and Adam refer to the same person 2. ""=dialogue, ''= thoughts What would guys say to a sequel? Post that in the reviews.  
  
Reviews: yeah, you bet.  
  
Chapter #14  
  
"Do you realize, that you just agreed to marry me?" Duncan asked, looking for confirmation.  
  
"Yes, I do." Anne answered, standing on tiptoes to give him a kiss, to seal the bargain.  
  
"What are we going to tell Mary?"  
  
"I don't know, all I know is, she'll be ecstatic to have a father in her life." Anne said, still smiling. Speaking of that child, I had better get going home, she'll be missing me"  
  
"I'll call you later." Duncan told her, as she picked up her coat and walked to the elevator. She turned to him and paused to give him another kiss.  
  
"If you keep this up, I won't have to call you later. Go, before, I decide to take you prisoner." Duncan said smiling, as he pulled the gate up for her.  
  
"Talk to you later." Anne said stepping into the elevator. He turned away from the elevator after she left, still not believing his luck. He had a beautiful little daughter, and to him, the most beautiful woman on the planet had just agreed to marry him, and spend the rest of her life with him. Life was good, for now.  
  
C.O.S: MacDonald household  
  
"Katie, where are you?" Andrew MacDonald called in a singsong voice. He was in his den. Things were not going his way at all. His daughter appeared in front of him then, and began cowering in the shadows.  
  
"I-I-I'ts not my fault daddy, it's not my fault, I swear it isn't. Katie whimpered, realizing that he blamed her for his mistakes.  
  
"Oh, but I beg to differ, it is. You didn't do as I asked, you didn't kill the little girl, when I told you to." He told her cruelly.  
  
" I made the cookies, the way you told me to, I added all the ingredients, including the poison. It's not my fault that they found the poison, and the anecdote to it." She answered the accusation.  
  
"There is one thing, you can do, to make it up to me," he said rising, and beginning to pace the room.  
  
"What is it, I'll do anything." Katie said desperate to make up for whatever sin she had committed.  
  
"Finish the job," he stated turning to face her.  
  
"Finish, you want me to finish the job. But dad, she's just a little girl, with her life in front of her. I can't, I can't kill her." Katie finished, continuing to whimper a little.  
  
"Yes you can, and you will." Andrew said decidedly.  
  
"NO, I WON'T, I WON'T KILL HER!!!!!! AND I CAN'T KILL HER." Katie yelled at her father.  
  
"YOU WILL, OR ELSE, I'LL KICK YOU BACK OUT ON THE STREET WHERE YOU BELONG"! Andrew shouted grabbing her arm.  
  
"YOU ALWAYS DID THINK OF ME, AS WORTHLESS, YOU'D BE DOING ME A FAVOUR!! Katie screamed.  
  
" WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE, A WORTHLESS LITTLE SORRY EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING, IT WASN'T MY CHOICE TO ADOPT YOU, BRING YOU INTO MY HOME!! I JUST CAME HOME AND BOOM, YOU WERE THERE."  
  
Katie slapped her father then, and ran out of the house crying, swearing to herself never to come back. She ran, tears streaming down her face so hard she couldn't see. She didn't realize where she was going until she saw the familiar veranda of Anne's house. She stopped, debating with herself. She deserves to know the truth, so she can prepare, at the same time, she likely despises me for what I did, or what I tried to do. Finally, she made the decision, and gathered her courage around her, and walked to the door. She rang the bell, and Anne answered the door.  
  
"Katie, how nice to see you." Anne greeted her guest holding a plush bear, " Come in, and sit down," she finished as she led the way into the main room.  
  
"Do you want anything to drink?" juice, pop, water maybe?" Anne courteously asked taking a seat on the plush chair opposite the teen.  
  
"Maybe some water," Katie answered, thinking it would give her some time, to organize her thoughts. Anne rose from her spot to get the requested beverage, and leave her guest to gather her thoughts. When she came back with it, she noticed for the first time, that Katie's face had been red, and her eyes blood-shot. Something was wrong. Anne sat back in the plush chair; she would wait for Katie to gather her thoughts. Finally the teen spoke:  
  
"I was adopted as a kid, you know. My mom, really wanted a child, and my father- well Andrew, learned he couldn't have children. So they adopted. He let my mom pick, and she picked me. She loved me, deeply, and completely. But, sadly, she died a few months after my adoption." She paused to take a drink of water. Anne waited, patiently.  
  
"Andrew began to resent my presence after her death. He thought I caused it, blaming me for everything. If we didn't have enough money one month for rent, then it was my fault, because I ate too much, or wanted too much to go to the movies with friends. We began to move around a lot. Every few months we were in a different city. Then we came here, it was my first true home, since my mother died. I wanted to make it special. I learned to cook, and had dinner on the table every night for my father and I; we would eat it together. I took the baby-sitting job here, and was making extra money. We started to become friends, to get to know each other again after her death. We got along." She paused to take another sip of water Anne watched her carefully.  
  
"He began asking questions about you, about Mary. At first, merely casual interest, questions like how old she was, how she was doing in school, what games we played together. Kind of mundane stuff really. Then he grew more daring: He asked me about you, if you were single, what you did, that type of thing."  
  
Anne suppressed a shiver, while listening. "And then what happened," She prompted.  
  
"I told him one night, that Duncan gave me a ride home. He then began asking me questions, so I answered them. He asked me to take one book, 'The Chronicles of Duncan McLeod, so I did, then asked me to bake cookies, and believe me, when I tell you, that at the time I had absolutely no clue, that they were poisoned. Anyways, he knows, that it didn't work. So, today he asked me to finish the job. I said I wouldn't."  
  
"He told me he thought I was worthless, and that if I didn't do it, he would throw me out. Anne, he wants me to finish the job." She finished, casting her eyes downwards. The pair lapsed into a long silence after that. Finally, Anne broke the silence.  
  
Anne sighed: "So you walked out on him." She finished.  
  
"Yes, but that's not all. Anne, I know him, and he will try to kill your daughter again." Katie told her firmly.  
  
Another chapter written, so what'd ya think? What will the reactions be to this latest development? Review to find out and either post them here, or e-mail them to me at:  
  
angelsbabe15@hotmail.com.  
  
Let me know too, if a sequel would be read.  
  
-A.B. 


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: The only characters I own are the MacDonald clan, the rest belong to the all mighty creators of the highlander show.  
  
Author's notes: 1. Methos, and Adam refer to the same person 2. ""= Dialogue, ''= thoughts To write a sequel, or not to write a sequel, that is the question. the answer: It's up to you my faithful readers. It occurs to me, as I'm writing this update that the age for Katie is undetermined, well for the record: she's about 14-16 years old  
  
Reviews: Review away, it's the only way another chapter will get written.  
  
Chapter # 15  
  
There was a long, awkward silence between the two ladies. Finally Anne broke it: "Well, I suppose I had better call Duncan, and ask him to come over." Anne decided, while she got up, and awkwardly walked to pick up the phone.  
  
"Hello, Duncan?" Um, would you come over- and bring Adam, Katie's here, and there are some things we need to discuss." Anne told him.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you in 15 minutes." Came the answer. And true to his word, he showed up 15 minutes later, a sleepy-headed, and slightly angry Adam.  
  
"Hello Anne?! Where are you?" Duncan called.  
  
"Yeah, Anne, this had better be good. I left a beautiful woman in my bed." Adam added his two cents worth, a grin spreading across his face at the thought of the lovely Alexa.  
  
" Oh, it is good, and we're in here." Anne said peaking her head out from the living room. Duncan led the way into the room. He saw Katie sitting in an easy chair, her eyes crestfallen. She looked up at him.  
  
"What is she doing here?" Duncan asked, directing the question to Anne, but fixing his steely glare on Katie.  
  
"She knows things, about the poisoning, about Andrew. Please take the time to listen." Anne pleaded. He heeded Anne's council, and listened to Katie recite the whole story, a second time. By the end, Duncan had come to a decision. He had only to talk to Adam and Anne before acting upon it.  
  
"Adam, Anne, can I see the pair of you in the kitchen." Duncan asked, and then left the room. "We'll be back in minute" Anne explained to her guest, and followed Duncan out of the room.  
  
"What's this all about?" She asked glancing at the two of them, slightly annoyed.  
  
" I want to tell her." Was all Duncan said.  
  
"Tell her what, that we're getting married, that the sky is blue, you'll have to be more specific than that. Anne replied"  
  
"I think that Duncan means to tell yet another person about us, what we are, and for once I agree with the boy-scout; Highlander, for once in your life, you've come up with a very, good idea." Adam added his opinion.  
  
"And, she'll know what she's dealing with." Anne added.  
  
"We're all agreed then. Anne if you would be so kind as to get our guest a glass of water, she's about to receive a shock." Duncan said.  
  
'Tell me about it' Anne thought bitterly.  
  
" I know what you're thinking, and we'll talk about it later." Duncan told her, reading her thoughts, and leading the way back to the living room.  
  
"Do you remember that book, you borrowed from me, that I was so insistent on getting it back?" Duncan asked by way of introducing his intended topic.  
  
"Yeah, what of it, I apologized for borrowing it." She told him.  
  
"You read some of it, right?" Duncan asked, and was greeted with a firm nod.  
  
"It sounded like a fairy tale, something out of romance books, I mean sword fights, daring rescues, getting the girl. I was so excited by it, I couldn't put it down." Katie told the company, eyes sparkling, as she thought of what she had read.  
  
"Well, it wasn't exactly out of romance books, or a fairy tale. As a matter of fact, it was all quite real." Duncan broke the news to her.  
  
"Wha, Wha, you're joking right?" She looks at Adam, then Anne for confirmation, and points back at Duncan: "He's joking right, ha, ha, he, he."  
  
"I'm afraid he's quite serious." Anne confirmed.  
  
"But, that would make him over."  
  
"400 years, yes, that's right. And I don't look a day over 30. I'm immortal. I can't die except beheading. So let me re-introduce myself to you: "Me name, is Duncan McLeod, of the Clan McLeod." Duncan finished with a flourish, allowing his Scottish accent to appear in his tone.  
  
"Hmmmm.What about you Adam?" Katie asked directly looking over at the man in question.  
  
" I am like Duncan, a little older though, ('to put it mildly' he thought to himself.) He smiled at the frightened girl.  
  
"Oh,"was the seemingly simple response. Katie paused to drink some water. "Katie, I know this is." began Anne.  
  
Katie cut her off: "There's more isn't there, if there is, then I want to know."  
  
"There is. Um, your father is one of us." Adam broke the news gently.  
  
"Oh." There was a long pause.  
  
"I think we should go, I'll call you tomorrow Anne." Duncan told the ladies.  
  
"You can stay here, the night if you like Katie." Anne offered kindly.  
  
" Thank you, I think I will." Katie accepted. The pair began preparations for bed, Anne bustling around getting blankets, and pillows to make up the couch for her guest.  
  
"Mary's going to be excited to see you here tomorrow when she gets up," Anne said, busying her hands unfolding a blanket to put over the couch.  
  
"Yeah." Came the answer. Anne got right to the point:  
  
"Do you need to talk, or do you need any help processing anything that was said here tonight?" Anne inquired.  
  
"Not right now, but I probably will after the shock and disbelief wears off." Katie answered.  
  
"Okay, good night then, Katie." Anne said.  
  
"Good night Anne, and thanks for everything." Katie replied to her host, genuinely grateful.  
  
Anne left the room then, leaving Katie to care for herself. On her way to her room she went in, and looked at Mary. 'Oh, my sweet, precious Mary; you've had quite the time, the last little while, well it's all going to be over soon my love, remember that mommy always loves you, and will be there for you always, no matter what happens.' She bent to kiss the forehead of the little girl. Then with heavy sigh, she continued onto her own bedroom, and prepared for bed, all the while thinking about the inevitable conversation with Duncan.  
  
Well that's this update finished. Reviews greatly appreciated.  
  
Toodles A.B. 


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: With the exception of the MacDonald clan, none of these characters are mine.  
  
Authors notes: Okay, I'm breaking my own policy here by updating without reviews, but I'm kind of stressed right now, and the way I relieve it, is to write. 2. Methos/ Adam refers to the same person 3. To write a sequel, or not to write a sequel that is the question. The answer is provided by you my faithful readers. 4. ""= Dialogue, ''= Thoughts  
  
Chapter #16:  
  
The phone woke Anne out of a fitful sleep. It was Duncan, and they agreed to meet in an hour for breakfast. Anne dressed carefully, choosing jeans and a blue turtleneck sweater. She peaked in at her daughter on her way downstairs: 'Mommy's going to talk some things out with Daddy, but I will be back later, sleep well my precious little one.' Then taking a deep breath she stepped out the door, all the while dreading the coming breakfast. She drove past the bustling little café and parked, then walked up.  
  
"Over here Anne," Duncan called out to her. 'And here, I was hoping he was going to be late or not show altogether' Anne thought to herself walking towards the little table in the corner. As she walked towards him, she noticed that he too, had chosen to dress low- key in blue jeans, and a blue sweater, that pulled tight over his very pronounced abs, his long black hair pulled back.  
  
"I guess great minds do think alike," she quipped uneasily.  
  
"Yeah," Duncan answered, walking over to pull out her chair, for her to sit down. They sat in an uneasy silence, until the waitress came and poured them coffee.  
  
"I'm really not sure how to begin this discussion, other than to say that I thought we got through this a long time ago." Duncan said.  
  
"We had, or so I thought, but you came back here, and we were friends. I had Mary, and we were still friends. It was as if, I could handle it, when friends or at arms-length with you. Then you went back to Paris, and I didn't see you for a while. You came back, and I started having these feelings for you, feelings that I thought were long-long buried, and things just went from there." She began.  
  
"I see." He prompted.  
  
"But before I had Mary, I met Amanda. She, who is always young, and will be forever beautiful. I couldn't help but be afraid, that if we ever fell back into love you would leave me." She finished in a hurry.  
  
"I would never, ever do that. I love you more than life itself Anne Lindsay. Afraid of loosing you yes, but we will have some wonderful, and happy years together, with our daughter before that can ever happen." Duncan replied.  
  
"Wow, you really know how to pick up a girl's day." Anne commented, smiling through the tears.  
  
"That's wonderful to hear. Now let's talk of more pleasant things. Any ideas for the wedding?" He asked, changing the subject.  
  
"I know I want it outdoors, maybe on the beach, at sunset. I want lots of flowers, and a lot of family around. For the honeymoon I'm thinking Scotland, I want to see where you grew up." She finished.  
  
" Wow, you've really put a lot of thought into this. I would, I think I would like the same thing. Before we continue further, I do think that there's something I haven't asked you yet." Duncan said rising and coming over to her. He clasped her hands as he bent down on one knee, as he looked up at her and said: "Anne Lindsay, you are my truest love, I would be honoured if you would be my wife." Duncan proposed, sliding a ring onto her finger.  
  
"Yes, I've told you before, and I'll say it now: Yes, Duncan I will marry you." She told him.  
  
"When?" He asked.  
  
"As soon as humanly possible. I can't wait to be Mrs. Duncan McLeod" She finished with a smile. They passed the rest of the breakfast in easy conversation. After an hour, they rose to leave and walked to their cars hands linked. As they crossed the road, Duncan straightened in recognition of another immortal.  
  
"Anne get down." Duncan warned her, as he turned to where he felt the presence. As he turned around, a shot rang out, and hit Duncan in the back.  
  
Dun, dun dun..  
  
It's so fun being evil.  
  
Who shot Duncan?  
  
Review away to find out.  
  
Toodles, A.B. 


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own nothing save for the MacDonald Clan, and the circumstances.  
  
Author's notes: 1. Methos/Adam refer to the same person ""= Dialogue, ''= thoughts To write a sequel, or not write a sequel, that is the question. just let me know.  
  
Summary: see first Chapter Reviews: Yes, please.  
  
Chapter #17  
  
The gunman walked back, and climbed into the waiting limo: "It's done boss" Andrew turned to the gunman: "Great," he instructed the driver to pull over. By taking his revenge, he would finally restore his family honour, and good name. With this in mind, he opened the car door, and strode purposefully over to where Duncan's car was parked. Anne was sitting on the sidewalk nearby, with the traitor's head lovingly in her lap. She looked up, as she heard footsteps approaching, a hopeful like that it might be someone come to aid her, and to all appearances slain fiancé. When recognition dawned on her, the look of hope turned to a glare of contempt.  
  
"You know, it figures you would do this, come and make an attempt on his head. Only a man that attacks defenseless young girls would do something this cowardly." Anne said insultingly  
  
"Coward? You're calling me a coward? Do you even know why I want his head? I want it in order to avenge a wrong done my family many years ago, in Scotland. There, his ancestor killed my ancestor's one and only heir. It has taken this long, for me to avenge that death. And if by avenging it, I kill MacLeod instead of his child, then so be it. " Andrew said.  
  
"Only a coward keeps to something that old. A true man, would learn to put his past aside, and try and focus on the here, and now. Because believe me, I've learned the hard way, that's all you have." Anne responded.  
  
" 'Ow can I make ya understand, it's the 'ighland code." Andrew replied in frustration, letting his Scottish accent shine through.  
  
"That's funny, because Duncan lives by that same 'highland' code. Except, to him it's one of honour, and one of integrity. It's one where you let your past stay in the past, and not interfere in the present." Anne told Andrew. At the mere mention of his name Duncan began to regain consciousness.  
  
"Ah, Duncan, at last you're awake. I was just educating your lovely wife- to-be- on our 'highland code' and she informs me, that you see it a different way." Andrew began.  
  
"If you mean, that I see it as one of honour, dignity, and respect, then yes, we do see things differently." Duncan said.  
  
"Do you want to take care of our differences, here, and now?" Andrew got right to the point.  
  
"Later, out by the docks, at dusk." Duncan said.  
  
"Fine, I've waited this long to take your head, I can wait longer" Andrew said arrogantly walking away.  
  
"Are you okay?" Anne asked Duncan  
  
"A little stiff, but I'll be fine." He told her, as he climbed to his feet. 'I'm getting too old for this.' He thought to himself, as he let her help him to the car.  
  
"I'll drive." Anne told him resolutely, as she walked around and climbed in the drivers seat. The pair were silent for a while.  
  
"I don't know what I should do Anne." Duncan said, with an exasperated sigh.  
  
"You'll figure something out." They drove up, and parked in front his apartment.  
  
"Come up for a coffee?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Yeah, that would be lovely." Anne answered, as followed him up the back stairs. She made herself comfortable while he made the coffee. He brought the steaming mugs over to the sofa, and sat down with a heavy sigh.  
  
"I haven't come up with anything, other than the simple fact, that I can't kill him." Duncan stated.  
  
"So don't kill him. Meet him, and tell him, that as far as you're concerned he doesn't exist. You feel nothing towards him. And, you're giving him one last chance to leave past in the past." Anne suggested.  
  
"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Duncan asked rhetorically, as he leaned in to kiss her. She reached a hand up and stroked his face: I was wondering the same thing about you." She responded. They deepened their kiss. Suddenly, Mac broke off the kiss, as he sensed another immortal presence. The elevator door opened to reveal Methos.  
  
"You will not believe the day I just." He stopped mid-sentence  
  
"Bad time Methos, this is a very bad time." Mac reprimanded, as he glared at his friend.  
  
"I think I should go. I'll walk back to Joe's. Good luck Mac," Anne said, as she turned to leave. Mac's glare softened.  
  
"I'll come by later." He told her.  
  
"Okay, bye." Anne left through the backdoor.  
  
"I have the distinct feeling I'm interrupting something." Methos said.  
  
"What was your first clue?" Mac asked sarcastically turning his glare back on the unwanted visitor.  
  
"Why are you here, anyways?" he finally asked.  
  
"A report that came over the watcher wires this afternoon, about someone being shot outside a restaurant this morning. I had a feeling that you might be involved." Methos explained.  
  
"He wants to meet me, tonight by the docks." Duncan said.  
  
"And there's a problem with this." Methos asked.  
  
"Yes. Even though he's an attempted murderer, and an all-round psychopath he is a father. And as a father, I have to respect him." Mac said.  
  
"Oh screw your code of boy-scout ethics. You know he plans on taking your head, not spouting some nonsense about 'being a father'." Methos said angrily.  
  
"I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, if he does come at me, I will take his head." Duncan said resolutely.  
  
"Whatever you say, Highlander, whatever you say. Just know, I won't be there to watch as he takes your quickening." Methos said, as he turned to leave.  
  
C.O.S: the docks  
  
The sun had just set, as Duncan walked resolutely to his meeting. He had decided on what he would say as he drove, and he was just going over it all in his head. He held his head high, as he walked looking for any tricks that his opposition might pull. He caught sight of MacDonald walking towards him.  
  
"I COME UNARMED" MacDonald shouted, holding both arms out as proof. Duncan didn't believe it for a minute.  
  
"Father to Father: You have one last chance to back down. You don't matter to me anymore, and neither does some old vendetta between our families. Let's put the past to rest. I won't kill you, if you won't kill me." Duncan said.  
  
"What brought this on?" MacDonald asked suspiciously.  
  
"Didn't you hear me, I said Father to Father." Duncan said.  
  
"I know you're Mary's father. But I never considered Katie my daughter. I considered her, a means to an end. You know I had the option of giving her up, after her mother died. I didn't, because the poor miserable little thing came to me, and begged me not to send her back out to the streets. She said she'd do anything. And I took her at her word, and kept her. So you see, I never cared about her, the way you cared about Mary." In that instant Duncan realized just how right Methos was, in his estimation of the situation. Duncan drew his sword, as his opponent drew his. The fight was on.  
  
Duncan patiently met his opponent blow for blow, as he waited for his opportunity. It came, as MacDonald began to let his frustration show on his face, and in his mannerisms. The sweat poured off MacDonald's forehead, as he began panting.  
  
"Getting tired, I see." Mac commented.  
  
"Never." MacDonald returned, as he swung at Duncan's head and missed. That was the opening, and Duncan took it, slicing his sword upwards, letting his opponent's guts spill out in front of him. Then quickly swinging his sword back up over his head, glanced the final finishing blow. MacDonald's headless corpse tumbled to the ground in front of him, as clouds began to grow around him. MacLeod braced himself for the quickening by holding his sword in the air. The lightening was naturally drawn to him, as he absorbed MacDonald's knowledge accumulated over the centuries, his hatred, bitterness, and regret. Also, the realization came to him, that although, he said all the mean, and hurtful things about Katie, he did in his own way love her. That counted for something. With this thought, MacLeod slumped to the ground in fatigue, and passed out.  
  
When he awoke the sun was out, and it was clear and sunny. He had a light heart as he pulled to the front of Anne's house. Anne came to stand on the veranda, as she heard a car pull into the driveway, and sighed with relief, as Duncan got out of the car. As he started across the driveway she ran to him. He opened his arms and picked her up, as she started crying.  
  
"Duncan, I was so afraid. I was afraid you were dead." She said between sobs.  
  
"It's okay, it's over. It's over my love." Duncan comforted as Anne cradled her head on his shoulder and continued sobbing. He lifted her head up so she looked into his eyes.  
  
"Now we get to plan a wedding." Duncan said as he kissed her passionately.  
  
Another Chapter written.  
  
Reviews are much appreciated either here, or e-mail them to: angelsbabe15@hotmail.com  
  
Thanks. A.B. 


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: none of this belongs to me, except the circumstances, and the MacDonald clan.  
  
Summary: see Chp. #1  
  
Author's notes: 1. Adam and Methos refer to the same person  
2. ""= Dialogue, ''= thoughts  
3. Sequel?  
4. C.O.S= change of scenery.  
5. Including Amanda I think in this chapter. * Warning: this chapter is sweeter than cotton candy.  
  
Reviews: I thrive on them. She smiles.  
  
Chapter #18  
  
It had been six months since he killed MacDonald. A period of time had never passed so quickly, or happily for Duncan. Everyday, every moment, he felt more certain that the decision to marry Anne, was right, and every moment he spent with her, and Mary, they felt more like a family. And now the day was here, when he would close one chapter of his life, only to start another, more fulfilling one. Duncan couldn't help but smile at his reflection in the mirror, as he recited again, the vows he would be saying in a few minutes. As he finished his recitation, he straightened, when he felt the presence of another immortal, and looked up to see Methos standing in the doorway.  
  
"You know I do believe she's too good for you." Methos began teasingly.  
  
"You would." Duncan replied. There was an awkward silence between the pair.  
  
"Seriously Methos, Thank you for being my best man." Duncan said.  
  
"You're welcome, now as your best man I wish that there was some piece of sage wisdom that I could give you, but to be honest, there's not. The only thing I can tell you is you may have forever to live, but with her, it'll go by in a blink of an eye. Cherish every moment you have with her, and that wonderful little charming daughter of yours." Methos finished.  
  
"I will my friend, I will." Duncan said.  
  
"One last thing. If I ever hear of you mistreating those two, I'll come after you." Methos mockingly.  
  
"Okay." Duncan replied.  
  
"With that, I'll leave you to finish preparing." Methos turned and left.  
  
C.O.S.- Bride's cabin Anne couldn't keep the grin from her face. It had been 6 months, and she hadn't stopped grinning. Her life was finally falling into place. She had a beautiful daughter, and was marrying the proverbial handsome prince, that every girl dreams of. Now if she could just remember those vows she wrote, she'd be good to go. She recited them one last time. As she was finishing, she heard a knock at the door.  
  
"Can I come in?" a female voice asked.  
  
"Yeah." Anne responded, as the door opened to reveal Amanda.  
  
"Oh hi Amanda." Anne said faking a smile. 'She'll forever be this beauty, while I'll age, and die. How can this be fair?' Anne asked herself.  
  
" Okay, I know we've never gotten along all that well.." Amanda began.  
  
"And I admit, that it's partially my fault. It's just; I've felt a little jealous of you. You're a beautiful woman, and to have that beauty forever seems to me incredible. And the immortality, the amount of people you meet, or things you'll do." Anne replied.  
  
"Honey, you've made yourself a life with him. I could have clunked that man over the head when I found out he left you pregnant, and alone. But here you are, you've got that beautiful daughter, and you're marrying the man of your dreams, who is, I assure you quite smitten with you, and the little one." Amanda told her admiringly. The two women embraced then.  
  
"You're always welcome in our home Amanda." Anne told her. They pulled back from the embrace.  
  
"I would be honoured if you would stand up with me, as a bridesmaid. I have no one. And it really tore Duncan up, having to choose between you, and Adam. It would please him, and I would look on it as a sign of a future friendship between us." Anne hurriedly asked.  
  
"Yes". Amanda replied affirmatively, tears beginning to run down her face. Anne hugged her.  
  
"You'll smudge your makeup." Amanda said. Anne stood up then, and smoothed her dress, a white one, with shoulder length sleeves. Amanda appraised her critically.  
  
"Turn around." Amanda told Anne. Anne circled slowly. When she finished, Amanda said: "Okay, you've got something old", Amanda began. Anne held out the bridal bouquet, being tied by a black, and green plaid of Duncan's clan.  
  
"Something new would be the dress of course." Amanda said.  
  
"Something blue," Anne continued as she indicated the delicate blue flowers in the bridal bouquet.  
  
"You just need something borrowed." Amanda finished. She paused in thought.  
  
"Ah, I have just the thing for you sweetie." Amanda assured her, as she held up her left wrist, and undid the clasp of her bracelet. Anne emitted a small gasp. It was a delicate gold woven with tiny rubies.  
  
"Amanda. I can't." Anne began to protest.  
  
"Yes, I want you to, just give it back after the wedding. I bought it as a gift for myself, from Duncan actually. He just doesn't know it yet, and I'd rather keep it between you and me." Amanda hurriedly explained. Her explanation elicited a small giggle from the bride. The pair looked up from their giggling to find Joe had entered the room.  
  
"They're ready to start." Joe informed the duo. Amanda got up.  
  
"Any advice?" Anne asked the woman.  
  
"Enjoy every moment you get to spend together. Remember, every time he's stubborn, he sees it's for your own good." Amanda advised. Then moved to open the door, as Joe and Anne linked arms and proceeded through. The walked outside and down the paved path to the white wicker archway, where they encountered a gleeful Mary, running around a pale blue dress, and the flowers forgotten on a chair.  
  
"Mary, it's time to get started." Amanda called the child over. Mary comes over to Amanda.  
  
"Ready to go, make your momma proud?" Amanda asked the girl bending to her level.  
  
"Daddy's waiting, let's go." Mary replied leading Anne by the hand towards the archway. The minister saw them approach and nodded to the organist to begin playing the wedding march. Mary walked forward first spreading red, and white flower petals to either side of her. Then came Amanda, and at last, came Anne, and Joe. Their eyes met, and for a moment there was really no one else around. They got to the head of the aisle, and Joe gave her a peck on the cheek, then placed her hand in Duncan's, and took a seat next to Amanda, and Mary.  
  
"I understand the couple has prepared their own vows. Would Duncan like to go first?" The reverend motioned to Duncan.  
  
"Anne, the journey we have taken to get to this point has been a long one full of adventure, and surprise. But to get to this moment of shining happiness, it has all been worth it. Your smile fills me with a contentment I have not yet known, and your laughter is music to my ears. And you have given me a beautiful child beyond wonder, who delights me everyday. I promise to honour you, today, and always, for better or worse, in sickness, and in health. You are in my heart and soul, and I will cherish you always.  
  
"I never thought I would marry my best friend. But here I am, and here he is. And yes, it has been quite the journey. Duncan, I love you, and I suppose in my heart I always have. You have enriched my life, and brought calmness to my soul, that otherwise, wouldn't be there. I feel now, more than ever, that you are the right man for me. With you, I have one certain thing that each day will be with you. You are in my heart, and engraved upon my soul. It will be an honour to stand beside you, for the rest of our lives." Anne said. The pair exchanged rings then.  
  
"You may now kiss the bride." The reverend announced. Duncan pulled Anne close and kissed her passionately. The newly-weds walked down the aisle followed quickly by Joe, Amanda, and Methos carrying Mary. They all climbed into a limo, which took them to Joe's bar, for a quiet intimate dinner.  
  
C.O.S.- Joe's place.  
  
"Well just because there are less then 10 people here, does not mean we should Skimp on the traditional best man's toast." Adam began.  
  
'Oh no', Duncan thought to himself.  
  
"I am envious of you Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. You have a ravishing wife, and an adorable little child. And you're just starting your life together. I wish you much joy, and love in your life together my friends." Methos finished the toast and sat down,  
  
"If you ever change your mind." he whispered to Anne as glasses clinked.  
  
"My turn" announced Joe.  
  
"Anne Lindsay, and Duncan McLeod, my two best friends. Mac, I hope you know what a lucky man you are to have gotten a second chance at happiness, with the woman of your dreams. And I also hope that you Anne realize how lucky you are to have gotten a second chance as well. Don't waste it you two. Make the most of it." Joe sat down. After dinner, the newlyweds shared a look of understanding.  
  
"Come on, Mary, it's time to go. Say good-bye to Joe, Adam, and Amanda."  
  
"Which reminds me, of our wedding gift to you, Adam and I will stay with Mary, while you two get the Honeymoon suite at the Hilton." Amanda said.  
  
"Wow, what a generous gift, Amanda you didn't need to." Duncan said, surprised.  
  
"No, actually, it's on you." Amanda replied, smiling. Then she winked at him.  
  
"Amanda." Duncan said only slightly annoyed. Then, he chuckled as he realized the joke.  
  
He followed his wife outside and into the waiting limo. When they got to the hotel, they found the honeymoon suite, with candles placed around on tables, and red, and white rose petals strewn across the bed. Duncan picked her up, and placed Anne lovingly on the bedspread. They made gentile love well into the night, and lay secure in each other's arms, each marveling at the fact that it took Mary to help them realize what they should have known all along: they were destined to be together.  
  
THE END  
  
I'd like to take a moment now, to thank all the readers, and reviewers for their feedback on this story. Their help was greatly appreciated. This has the potential to be the first in a series, so let me know if a sequel would be read.  
  
Reviews are always appreciated.  
  
Peace out,  
  
A.B. 


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